TechBits

Focus Assist

Since I started working remotely, one of my favorite tools for keeping in contact with my co-workers has been Slack. This isn’t a post about how nice Slack is to use, but rather how Windows kept me from hearing notifications when someone would send me a message. By default, Windows 10 will notify me when someone sends a message either directly to me or to a group channel I belong to by producing a sound like someone is knocking on a door. This is different than other notifications for emails and other instant messaging tools, so I know when I hear the “knock” it’s from Slack.

While I’m working from home I may move around from room to room looking for a comfortable spot to park for a while. I have a main office with a desk, wide screen monitor, docking station, and keyboard, but when I move to another room I undock my laptop to take it with me. This action somehow enables Focus Assist, which turns off my notifications. Focus Assist is designed to allow you to work without interruptions, but I like being interrupted...sometimes.

If this is something you’ve experienced and would like to turn your notifications back on, click...

• Start
• Settings
• System
• Focus assist
• Off

On the other hand, if you are tired of notifications bothering you while you’re trying to focus you may want to turn Focus Assist on. In this case, you can click...

• Start
• Settings
• System
• Focus assist
• Priority Only or Alarm Only

It is a hassle to check this settings every time I go from docked to undocked, since I do it so frequently. To permanently change Focus Assist so that it doesn’t change when I move around I set all the Automatic rules farther down the page to “Off”. Now whenever I wander around my house I hear notifications whenever someone sends me a message.

To see a list of programs where you can change your notification settings, click...

• Start
• Settings
• System
• Notifications and Actions

Filling in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Reader

Recently our libraries have been discussing their patrons' need to be able to fill information into PDFs without printing them, writing on them with a pen, and re-scanning them.

Did you know you can use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program to add text and signatures to PDFs?

Usually when I'm working with PDFs, I click on a link on a webpage and the PDF opens in the browser itself. This provides a limited set of options and works great if I just need to read the PDF. Downloading the PDF and opening it within Adobe Acrobat Reader instead (the current version on my Windows 10 PC is "Acrobat Reader DC") gives have additional options to add text and signatures. Nifty!

I downloaded the SCLS Library Card application and tried it out. Worked great!

Interested in more details? This article from PC Magazine has info and screenshots:  https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-insert-text-sign-a-pdf-with-adobe-acrobat-reader

Good Calculators, Google Forms, and more

WVLS has shared some short (3-15 min) "Digital Bytes" training videos recently that may be of interest to you or your library patrons:

Good Calculators
Time: 5:01
Jamie talks about an educational and fun tool that can help library patrons of all ages.
Watch

Google Forms
Time: 15:11
Anne talks about creating a Google Form and how to share it.  Watch

Social Media Message Optimizer
Time: 5:26
Jamie talks about using CoSchedule’s Social Media Message Optimizer to see if you’re getting the most out of your library’s social media posts, based on several factors. Watch

JCW Resume Builder
Time: 10:29
Anne talks about using the Job Center of Wisconsin online resume builder. Watch

Using Bluejeans
Time: 10:46
Jamie demonstrates how to use Bluejeans as a moderator.  Watch

Scanning Documents On Your iPhone
Time: 3:24
Don’t have access to a scanner? Jamie talks about using your iPhone to scan documents as a PDF file.  Watch

You can find more of these "Digital Bytes" here on the WVLS website: https://wvls.org/digital-bytes/

Google Meet is Neat

We use several applications for virtual meetings within our organization but sometimes they are in use at the same time and it’s nice to have an option that I can rely on if I want to have an impromptu meeting. Most of us already have a Google account of some sort whether it’s Gmail, G-Suite, or YouTube and that’s all you need to use a free application for virtual meeting called Google Meet. If you’re familiar with other video conferencing applications then you will be able to easily pick up how to use Google Meet.

To start a Google Meet session;

• Log into your Google account.
• Locate “Google Meet” and click on it
• Click “Join or Start Meeting”
• Enter a meeting name, click “Continue”
• Allow the mic and camera settings (if you so desire)
• Send an invite to whoever you would like to join your meeting. I usually miss that step and copy the link in the URL to send to attendees.

Google Meet can accommodate up to 100 people for up to an hour per meeting with unlimited meetings. If you would like more than that you can sign up for advanced options.

 

Image by Alexandra Koch from Pixabay.com

How to mix up your working from home routine

As working from home is lasting longer than expected, I find myself looking for ways to improve my productivity and experience.  I never realized how much being in the presence of others generates my creativity and improves my mood.  I have found some useful suggestions in the article “Getting Antsy? 9 Ways to Shake Up Working From Home.”

I wanted to share a few tips from this article that have helped me.  Of course, everyone is different so it’s important to find what works for you.  For instance, I get up early, enjoy my coffee, and work on my list of tasks for the day.  After that, I try to get out for a short walk with my dogs before my workday is set to begin.  This time allows me to wake up, clear my head, and time to revise my task list as needed.

Another suggestion I find useful is taking breaks.  During quarantine, I don’t have to commute so I have extra time to get up early and/or work later if I need to.  This is especially helpful because I have a teenage daughter that will be attending school virtually again starting in September.  Even though my breaks will be mostly devoted to checking in with her, I think it’s important for both of us that she has a time when she can interrupt me during the day to help her if she needs it. 

I spent time setting up a designated workspace over the summer.  I have turned our spare bedroom into an office space that we can both use when we need to.  Of course, having a laptop is nice because sometimes I enjoy moving to another room to change things up or even outside if the weather permits.  I found this has helped my overall mood and productivity during the pandemic. 

The final point in the article I think can help anyone working from home.  Taking time to stretch, play music, read, or anything else that can help you take an actual break from your work and computer is so important.  We can’t do our work well if we feel like we’re “living at work” instead of “working from home.”  Wishing everyone health and happiness during this challenging time.    

Spotting Neowise

A lot of people have been talking about the comet “Neowise” lately.  The comet is 3 miles wide and is made of ice and dust.  My family has been using the SkySafari phone app on an Android phone to spot the comet the last few nights.  The app is great at helping amateurs find objects in the sky.  You can download the free version of SkySafari to your phone through the Google  Play Store.  There is no need to download the paid Pro or Plus versions.

The Neowise comet is supposed to be closest to Earth Thursday night.  If you want to use SkySafari to locate the comet, follow these steps:

1. Download SkySafari from Google Play Store.
2. After it downloads open it.
3. The first time you open SkySafari, you will need to allow permission to access photos, media and files for the app to work.
4. Next, you will need to allow SkySafari to access the device’s location.  I set it to allow only while using the app.
5. The app should be open now, press Search at the bottom.
6. Select Brightest Comets in the list.
7. Select NEOWISE.  For now, it is located at the top of the list.
8. At the bottom, click Center.  This will show the current location of Neowise.
9. At night, take your phone outside and point up towards the sky in a Northwesterly fashion.  Move the phone around until Neowise shows up on the screen.

How to right-click with no mouse

Right-clicking the mouse button often gives you a pop-up menu with more options. This menu is contextual and the options given are based upon where you right-clicked. So what happens if your mouse breaks and you can't right-click. Thankfully Windows has a universal keyboard shortcut that does a right-click wherever your cursor is located. The key combination for this shortcut is Shift + F10.

There are other keyboard shortcuts available, so if anyone is interested in these just leave me a comment. If there is enough interest I will write more about these in my next post.

Image from ClipartPanda.com

Sanitizing Staff and Patron Electronic Devices

General Guidelines

SCLS recommends these general guidelines regarding sanitizing electronic devices in between staff and patron use:

• Work with local public health officials and follow their guidelines, especially to establish frequency of cleaning, etc.
• Follow manufacturer’s instruction for cleaning and disinfecting (see section below).

SCLS Tips (incorporates guidelines from CDC)

• Wash or sanitize hands before sanitizing equipment.
• Unplug the devices (mice, keyboard, touch screen monitors, etc.) from the PC. It is not necessary to unplug the power or turn off the PC.
• If no guidance from manufacturer, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% isopropyl alcohol.
• Do not spray directly onto the device. Always spray onto a cloth. Do not use paper towels. Microfiber or white/light cotton cloths (including old dish towels or t-shirts) are preferred.
• Make sure wipes are damp, but not dripping. Dry surface thoroughly.
• Do not get moisture into any openings, gaps, ports, keyboards, etc.
• There is a concern that repeated and frequent cleaning of any electronic devices of a long period of time may cause problems. We do not know what the effect will be. These tips are based on manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Wash or sanitize hands after sanitizing equipment.

If all else fails, encourage patrons and staff to wash hands before and after use.

Ways to Reduce “Touch” on Touch Screens

• Provide a stylus per patron that can be cleaned in between use (SCLS is researching these)
• Reconfigure settings for self-check settings to reduce touch (for example, disable PIN)

Manufacturer’s Instructions

The following are known manufacturer’s instructions:

• Apple How to Clean your Apple products
• Dell Guidance for Keeping Your Dell Technologies Equipment Clean
  • Exception: Libraries may choose to unplug the mouse or keyboard rather than unplug the PC.
• Bibliotheca Cleaning methods for Bibliotheca solutions
• Envisionware Cleaning Envisionware Self Checks

Encourage Washing Hands

Based on access to cleaning supplies, it may not be feasible to perform frequent, if any, regular cleanings. Encouraging staff and
patrons to wash hands may be your only option. You may post signs regarding proper hand hygiene before and after using the computers to minimize disease transmission. 

Scan documents with iPhone

Our son is finishing up his first year of college from our kitchen instead of his dorm room due to COVID 19 stay-at-home orders. This week, I saw him taking pictures of his homework laid out on the kitchen counter. He said he uses Notes on his iPhone to scan his homework/tests to a pdf for submitting online, and that it was a useful tool I should try. Here is how I got started:

1. Open Notes and create a new note.
2. Select the Camera icon and select “Scan Documents”. If you do not see the Camera icon, check Settings to make sure Notes is connected to iCloud or the local notes folder on the device.
3. Take a picture of the document and adjust the scan to fit the page. Select “Keep Scan”. Continue scanning pages to the document and then select "Save". All the pages will be combined into one pdf.
4. Select the Upload icon to send or share.
5. Optional: Select the Upload icon and then the Markup icon to add text or a signature. 

Begin Where you Left Off in Acrobat Reader

I recently had to read a lengthy document in PDF form.  It was over 30 pages long and I read it over the course of three days.  What I found really frustrating was that Acrobat Reader would always open the document at Page 1 the next day when I’d resume reading.  Microsoft Word has a feature built-in that let’s you resume where you left off the last time.  When you reopen a Word document, a Welcome back message appears at the right-hand side of the window.  Just click the Welcome back message and Word automatically takes you back to where you left off. 

Welcome Back message in Word

If Word has this feature, you would think Acrobat Reader has something similar.  A quick Google search pointed me to instructions for enabling a similar feature in Acrobat Reader.  To configure Acrobat Reader to open a document where you left off, please follow these instructions:

1. Open Acrobat Reader DC
2. Click Edit
3. Click Preferences...
4. Click Documents
5. Check the box for Restore last view settings when reopening documents
   

Now your Acrobat Reader will open PDF files where you left off and at your previous Zoom Level.