In a modern world filled to the brim with electronic gadgets, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed by the seemingly endless capabilities of our devices. Here are some of the most useful tips to get the most out of your devices.
Have you ever accidentally closed a browser tab you needed or sent an email to the wrong people?
You may not be aware but your computer, phone and other devices come with all sorts of capabilities designed to get you out of predicaments just like that.
Here are five tech tips you may not have been aware of.
Insert USB drives the right way first time
Inserting a USB drive can be tricky, and no matter which way you choose to insert it, you always seem to get it wrong. But here’s a foolproof method to get it right first time, every time.
Look for the trident-shaped USB symbol on your device. Align the USB connector’s trident with the trident on your device, and it will slide right in. Avoid the frustration of multiple attempts and potential damage.
Reopen a closed browser tab
Accidentally closed a browser tab and can’t remember the site you were on? Simply press ‘Ctrl + Shift + T’ on a Windows computer or ‘Command + Shift + T’ on a Mac.
This shortcut resurrects the last closed tab. Keep pressing it, and you can reopen multiple tabs, saving you the hassle of searching for lost web pages.
Crop a screenshot on your phone
Captured the perfect screenshot on your phone but want to focus on a specific part? No need for fancy apps. On most smartphones, after taking a screenshot, look for the edit or crop option in your gallery. Crop the image to highlight what matters most before saving or sharing it.
Recall a sent email
There’s a special kind of dread that accompanies an email you’ve sent out to everybody by mistake. Fortunately, you have a small window in which to minimise the damage. But you’ll need to have the ‘Undo Send’ feature enabled in your email client.
In Outlook, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘See all settings’ > ‘Undo Send.’ Enable the ‘Undo Send’ feature and set the cancellation period (5, 10, 20 seconds). Now, after hitting send, you’ll have a brief window to undo the action and make any necessary changes.
Search Google using the ‘site:’ command
Google is a vast sea of information, and searching for something can bring back literally thousands of results. But you can narrow your search by using the ‘site:’ command to limit your search to a specific website.
If you’re looking for information only on a specific website, type ‘site:website.com’ (for example, ‘site:nationalgeographic.com) followed by your search query. Google will return results only from that website, helping you find what you need faster.
Were you aware of these tech shortcuts? Can you think of any other useful tips? Let us know in the comments section below.
