Articles tagged "Tech tips"

Hey Google, how can you and Alexa increase productivity at work?

I mostly use Google Assistant at home to settle debates with my husband and daughter: "Hey Google, what year was Wall-E released?" (2008. I was right.

How snippets make me more efficient at work...and dating

I may seem efficient, but really, I'm just good at using snippets. Snippets are a form of text expander—they're basically a fancy version of autocorrect, which allow you to type some small amount of text and have way more text appear.

How to ruin your brain less while using the internet

I've been on my computer for four hours today, and I'm not sure I've gotten anything done. This is entirely my fault, to be clear—I have deep impulse control problems. At the same time, this is happening by design.

Want to get more out of your tool? Read the darn guide.

I really love working efficiently. Mostly because working efficiently means spending less time working.

The best way to learn technology? Click all the buttons

I've been called a Computer Person, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I worked in technical support, for years, with no qualifications whatsoever. I basically Googled things for money. If a computer came in with a virus, I'd run a scan.

How to (appropriately) use emoji at work

My editor Deb loves to ruin things. One time she used her Ph.D. in Italian to ruin an entire emoji. The emoji in question is a common Italian hand gesture that, roughly translated, means "what the hell?" This isn't how our team was using it.

How to win at Zoom backgrounds, from a first-place winner

Recently, video conferencing tool Zoom started a monthly virtual background contest. Remote workers from around the world vie for the prestigious title. In March 2020, Zapier's own Ben Peter won the contest. This is his story.

How to use Microsoft Teams for free, and which features are included

Microsoft Teams is a team chat app—essentially Microsoft's answer to Slack.

How to not see your own face during Zoom meetings

I don't like seeing my face during Zoom calls for the same reason I don't want to do meetings in a room full of mirrors. It's distracting and mildly nauseating. Good thing I can hide myself in Zoom.

How to quickly find links to your Zoom meetings

Admit it: you've been late to a meeting because you couldn't find the Zoom link. It's a terrible feeling, knowing that everyone else is already in the call while you're fumbling through your calendar.