Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Tech-Savvy Ways to Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day

 Saint Patrick's Day is a time to celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Whether you're Irish or just love to celebrate the holiday, there are plenty of tech-savvy ways to mark the occasion. Here are some ideas:

  1. Watch a virtual parade: Many cities hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, but you can also watch them online. Look for live streams of parades in Ireland and other cities around the world, and enjoy the festivities from the comfort of your own home.

  2. Learn about Irish culture: There are many online resources available that can help you learn more about Irish culture, history, and traditions. Consider taking an online course or using an app to explore the country's rich heritage.

  3. Use social media to connect with others: Social media is a great way to connect with others who are also celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. Look for online communities and groups that are dedicated to the holiday, and share photos, videos, and messages with other celebrants.

  4. Listen to Irish music: Saint Patrick's Day is the perfect opportunity to discover new Irish music. Use a music streaming service to explore traditional Irish songs, or listen to contemporary Irish bands.

  5. Cook an Irish meal: You can use recipe apps or website to find Irish recipes, and use video conferencing software to share the experience with friends or family.

By using technology, you can make Saint Patrick's Day even more festive and memorable. From watching virtual parades to learning about Irish culture, there are many ways to celebrate this special holiday.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

5 Tips for Improving Your Online Privacy

 With so much of our lives taking place online, it's important to take steps to protect our privacy. Here are some simple tips for improving your online privacy:

  1. Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection, making it much more difficult for others to snoop on your online activity. This can be especially useful when using public Wi-Fi networks.

  2. Use privacy-focused browsers: Some browsers, like Tor, are designed to protect your privacy by routing your internet connection through multiple layers of encryption. This can help to mask your IP address and make it more difficult for others to track your online activity.

  3. Be careful what you share: Keep in mind that anything you share online can be seen by others. Be careful about what personal information you share on social media and other online platforms.

  4. Use ad-blockers and anti-tracking software: Ad-blockers and anti-tracking software can help to keep your online activity private by blocking ads and tracking scripts that can be used to collect information about you.

  5. Keep your software updated: Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your privacy. Make sure to keep your operating system and all of your installed programs up to date to ensure that you have the latest security features.

By following these tips, you can take steps to protect your online privacy and keep your personal information safe. Remember that, you should be careful of giving any permissions to apps and website, read the privacy policies and limit the access of apps and website to your personal information. Additionally, be careful of clicking on suspicious links or emails and use a good antivirus to keep your device safe from any malicious software.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Tech-Savvy Ways to Show Your Love this Valentine's Day

 Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to show your loved one how much you care. But if you're looking for a unique way to express your feelings, why not put a tech spin on things? Here are some tech-savvy ways to show your love this Valentine's Day:

  1. Create a personalized video message: Use a video editing app or software to create a personalized video message for your loved one. You can include photos and videos of your time together, along with a heartfelt message.

  2. Make a playlist of songs that hold a special meaning: Use a music streaming service to create a playlist of songs that hold a special meaning for the two of you. Share it with your loved one and enjoy listening to it together.

  3. Make a digital scrapbook: Use a photo editing app or software to create a digital scrapbook of your time together. Include photos, videos, and special messages that you can look back on together.

  4. Send a virtual gift: If you can't be together in person, consider sending a virtual gift, like an e-gift card, a game or a digital subscription.

  5. Have a virtual date: If you can't be together in person, plan a virtual date. You can use video conferencing software to have a romantic dinner together, or you can plan to watch a movie or play a game together.

These are just a few tech-savvy ways to show your love this Valentine's Day. With a little creativity, you can find many ways to use technology to make your loved one feel special. Remember that, these are just ideas and you can always come up with something unique, meaningful and special for your loved one.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

3 Tips for Maintaining Your Computer's Performance

 As we use our computers more and more, they can start to slow down and become less responsive. Here are some simple tips for maintaining your computer's performance:

  1. Keep your computer clean: Dust and debris can build up inside your computer, causing it to overheat and perform poorly. Make sure to regularly clean the dust out of your computer's vents and fans to keep it running cool.

  2. Manage your startup programs: Many programs will automatically start when you turn on your computer, which can slow down the boot process and take up valuable resources. Go to the startup tab in task manager and disable any programs that you don't need to start automatically.

  3. Free up disk space: As you use your computer, it can fill up with files and programs that you no longer need. Make sure to regularly clean out your files and uninstall any unnecessary programs to free up disk space and improve performance.

By following these tips, you can keep your computer running smoothly and avoid common performance issues. Additionally, you can use disk cleanup, defragment your hard drive and use a good antivirus to keep your computer safe and clean.

It's also important to note that keeping your computer updated with the latest software and security patches can also help in maintaining a smooth performance.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

5 Tips for Securely Storing Passwords

As more of our daily lives move online, it's increasingly important to make sure that our passwords are secure. Here are five tips for storing passwords in a way that helps to keep your accounts and personal information safe:

  1. Use a password manager: A password manager is a tool that generates and stores strong, unique passwords for all of your online accounts. This means you only have to remember one master password, and the password manager will take care of the rest. Some popular password managers include LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane.
  2. Use long, complex passwords: The longer and more complex a password is, the harder it is for hackers to crack. Aim for passwords that are at least 12 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using personal information or common words that can be easily guessed.
  3. Don't reuse passwords: Using the same password for multiple accounts is a big security risk. If a hacker is able to figure out one of your passwords, they will be able to access all of your accounts that use that same password. Use a password manager or write down your passwords in a secure location to help you keep track of unique passwords for each of your accounts.
  4. Enable two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code that is sent to your phone or email in addition to your password. This makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts, even if they manage to figure out your password.
  5. Be cautious when sharing passwords: It's not uncommon for people to share passwords with friends or family members, but this is a risky practice. Only share passwords with trusted individuals and make sure to change your passwords if you suspect that someone you shared them with may have given them to someone else.

By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your passwords are secure and your online accounts are protected.

 

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

The best way to record your screen!










The #1 screen recorder for Chrome. Capture, edit and share videos in seconds.
**************************** 📣BIG NEWS 📣******************************
All of our recording features are now free! Enjoy unlimited recordings up
to 5 minutes each - with no watermark, ever!  We’ve also unlocked video
trimming and export options for free users 🎉
****************************************************************************

Screencastify is Chrome's most trusted screen recorder.

✔ Millions and millions of weekly users
✔ 2.6 million hours recorded in 2019
✔ #1 most installed Chrome screen recorder
✔ Incredibly easy to learn and use

🎥 Record
▸ Desktop, browser tab or webcam capture
▸ Narrate with your microphone’s audio
▸ Embed your webcam into the recording
▸ Full HD resolution

✄ Edit
▸ Trim the start and end of your videos
▸ Draw on your tab with the pen tool
▸ Merge, crop, and add text to videos (upgrade required)

🚀 Share
▸ Videos autosave to Google Drive
▸ Copy shareable Drive link with one click
▸ Publish directly to your YouTube channel
▸ Share to Google Classroom
▸ Save and manage videos locally
▸ Export as MP4, animated GIF, or MP3

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“Screencastify is the simplest tool I’ve ever used to record my screen. Even my 3rd graders picked it up instantly.” - Jillian B. (Elementary School Teacher)

“Screencastify is just awesome. I used to use bulky screencast / screenshot software...including SnagIt, Camtasia AND Screencast-O-Matic. Screencastify does everything I need and lives right in my browser.” - Devon L. (Product Manager)

"I set up all 1200 of my district's students with Screencastify in two clicks. It was almost TOO easy!" - Greg P. (Director of Technology)

“As a UX designer, I’m head over heels in love with Screencastify. I can record, watch and listen to a user’s every reaction and movement. It’s so awesome.” - Harry H. (UX Designer)

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How do people use Screencastify for screen recording and capture?

🎓 Education:
▸ Strong enough for universities, safe enough for kindergarteners
▸ CommonSense.org Top Pick
▸ Teachers save time, increase effectiveness
▸ Perfect for flipped classrooms
▸ Enable more 1:1 feedback
▸ Language, public speaking, comprehension practice
▸ Designed for Chromebooks
▸ Google Suite, Google Apps For Education and Google Classroom ready

💻 UX Designers:
▸ Capture detailed user experiences
▸ Track facial reactions on webcam
▸ Find and demonstrate bugs with videos

📈 Marketers:
▸ Users prefer video over any other medium
▸ Create how to's, presentations, demos, etc
▸ Share an engaging brand message

👥 Account Managers:
▸ Speed up communication and save money
▸ Create 30 second demos for clients
▸ No more repetitive explanatory emails

📚 Corporate Training:
▸ Practice sales pitches and other skills
▸ Uncover weaknesses and opportunities

🌍 Everyone Else:
With millions of weekly users, we’ve been able to accommodate just about any and every screen recording idea - from professional YouTubers to UFO hunters. What are you waiting for? Install Screencastify and inspire the world with your screencasts.

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📝 Specs:
▸ Screencasts are captured as webm/vp8 files with ogg vorbis audio
▸ Videos can be saved to your local disk as various file types (GIF, MP4, etc), directly to your Google Drive, published to Youtube, or you can share the link virtually anywhere
▸ Screencastify does not depend on any external software (like Java, Flash or other plugins) so it runs on Chrome OS, Chromebooks, and Chromeboxes
▸ Screen recording is a CPU intensive task. Older or weaker computers may lag if multiple programs and tabs are open at the same time as a screencast

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Holiday Break!

 Happy Holidays from the Leona Information Technology Department!





Next post Janurary 3rd, 2023

See you next year...