However, learning how to type fast doesn’t have to be a chore. Below are 13 free typing games for kids to get a head start on their typing skills while having fun.

1.   TypeRush

TypeRush is one of many typing games for kids. First, the game gives children a series of sentences to copy.

The faster and more accurately they type, the quicker the race car advances on the track. There is also an option to compete and rank among a global team of typing racers.

Fancier cars are unlocked as the child types faster and racks up points.

2.  TypeTastic

In collaboration with teachers, TypeTastic created colorful and fun typing game for kids.

Designed for children of all ages, TypeTastic plays in a specific order. As kids build on their typing speed skills, they move on to the next level. TypeTastic offers different levels of games for children from kindergarten through high school.

3. Alpha Munchies

Alpha Munchies is a free typing game for elementary school children.

Kids can start as beginners and work their way toward the expert level game. The goal of Alpha Munchies is to hit the flying and hungry alpha critters before they land and munch on the food by typing in the correct letter above them.

4. Key Seeker

Key Seeker is a good choice of typing games for kids who are kindergarten age and younger.

This game is a matching and interactive tool that helps young children recognize letters on a keyboard. It teaches them to use the correct hand to strike the key by using color-coded letters.

5. Dance Mat Typing

Dance Mat Typing helps children of all ages learn and improve their typing skills in a 12-step program.

By using cute characters and compelling obstacles, Dance Mat Typing starts kids off slowly. It teaches them correct positioning and typing techniques while challenging them to progress to the next level.

Children receive a printable reward certificate when they pass a stage in this free typing game.

Pro-Tip: For parents concerned about their child’s internet access to any site while using these educational tools on a SmartPhone, try one of these child monitoring apps.

6. Type-a-Balloon

Type-a-Balloon is a fun typing game for kids that is perfect for all ages.

The goal is to pop the balloons before they move away. To pop the balloon, kids must type the correct letter on it.

The game notifies children that typing an incorrect letter will cause them to lose points.

7. Type Type Revolution

The strategy of this free typing game is to hit the right key at the right time.

Because Type Type Revolution focuses on recognition and timing skills, it’s best suited for older children who want to improve their typing speed.

To begin the game, children select one of ten songs. The object of this typing game is to hit the correct letter before it gets to the top row of letters.

8. KeyMan

Lying deep below the ocean’s surface is an infinite bounty of adventure, treasure, and danger. The faster a child types, the more they can explore.

Keyman moves through the maze eating the dots before the colorful ghosts catch him. Children navigate Keyman by typing the different letters that appear above, below, and to either side of the dots.

Every time a letter is typed, the navigation changes. It’s such a fun game that kids don’t even realize they are learning how to improve their typing skills.

9. Typing Ninja

The goal of this free typing game is to type text on the box to help the Ninja beat the monsters.

The game’s multiple difficulty levels make it a good match for kids of all ages. Each child starts with three lives.

For each monster a kid doesn’t beat, a life is lost. If all three lives are lost, so is the game. Beating all the monsters wins the game.

10. The Typing Of The Ghosts

The Typing of the Ghosts is another free typing game designed for older children.

It’s a useful game for children who want to increase their typing speeds. The goal of the game is to type a word as fast as possible before the ghosts in the background approach you.

Each child starts with five lives. However, if a kid isn’t fast enough, a ghost can take away one of the five lives.

11. Keyboard Climber 2

There is no timer in this game. So, it’s fun and appropriate for kids who are just learning the alphabet.

In Keyboard Climber 2, a monkey is stuck in a cave. Players help the monkey jump up rock platforms. They do this by recognizing the letters on the screen.

Each correctly typed letter gives the monkey a bunch of bananas. If the child types the wrong letter, a coconut falls on the monkey’s head, and the level restarts.

12. Typing Chef

Typing chef is a free typing game where kids are apprentices working for a master chef.

This typing game is best suited for older children who already have some typing experience. Kids start the game with five lives in an entry-level job.

Typing Chef measures speed and time as kids work their way up to a higher-level kitchen job by typing words before they move to the top of the screen.

13.  Alphabet Shoot

The objective of Alphabet Shoot is to pass as many levels as possible out of a total of thirty.

To pass on to the next level, kids must aim and fire by moving the mouse and pressing the matching letter.

Speed is determined by how long a child holds down the letter key before releasing it. There is a limit to how many shots are allowed for each letter.

Make Learning Fun With Free Typing Games For Kids

If learning is fun and the online educational tools you use are well built, kids are more likely to want to learn. Colorful animations and fun typing games for kids will help children of all ages learn how to master a keyboard and improve their typing speed.

The post 13 Typing Games for Kids to Learn How To Type Faster first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Learning how to code is like learning to speak a foreign language. Younger children learn faster than adults because their brains are still developing and made for learning.

Unless parents know how to code, they must rely on other resources to teach coding for kids. Luckily, there are plenty of low-cost and free coding for kids websites available on the market today.

JR Code Avengers

JR Code Avengers is one of several Code Avengers Courses. It is an online platform used to teach children how to code.

There are three options to choose from based on age and level of experience:

• Foundational for kids five to eleven with no experience.
• Intermediate for children between the ages of ten and fifteen with only basic coding knowledge.
• Advanced for ages thirteen to sixteen with more than a basic understanding of programming.

JR Code Avengers requires a subscription. Choose from individual, parent, or teacher. The courses are not free but do offer a 30-day free trial.

The three pricing tiers are $29/month, $25/month for a six-month plan (billed semi-annually for $150), and $20 for a full year plan (billed annually for $240). They all offer the same following features:

• Unlimited access to over 500 lessons.
• More than 100 guided projects and quizzes.
• Access to Code Avengers’ cloud storage.
• Certificates for course completion.
• Exclusive Slack channel.

Code Combat

Code Combat is a coding game for kids ages five through seventeen. The core levels are free. Additional levels are available for monthly subscriptions.

This free coding for kids game teaches JavaScript and Python coding using text-based programming. Children play through different levels of a role-playing game.

The lessons start with concepts such as syntax, methods, loops, and variables. The game features fun graphics to help kids learn to code.

It also offers the ability for them to connect with other players in the community and take part in a team sport.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization that offers classes for every student anywhere. It provides practice exercises, personalized learning, and instructional videos to empower learners to study at their own pace.

Khan Academy’s mission is to provide world-class and free education geared towards educators, parents, and students.

Personalized learning enables parents and teachers to help identify gaps in progress. Khan offers a wide variety of coding courses for kids, including JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Khan Academy also has basic programming tutorials that teach kids how to build graphics, animations, and interactive visualizations,

Lightbot

Lightbot is a puzzle game based on programming. It requires applying programmatic logic to solve levels.

It is available via a browser with Flash enabled or as a paid app for Android, macOS, iOS, and Windows.

It’s designed for first-time coders and helpful for children of all ages to learn how to code. Kids have fun playing the games while learning programming logic, such as overloading, sequencing, recursive loops, procedures, and conditionals.

Swift Playgrounds

Swift Playgrounds is a free app for Mac and iPad. It makes learning fun and interactive and requires no coding knowledge.

Swift Playgrounds is a perfect starting point for kids to learn programming skills. The design of the playgrounds is to help children learn to code in a fun way.

Swift Playgrounds is simple, engaging, and fun and comes with a set of Apple-designed lessons. Children solve interactive puzzles in guided learning to code sessions to help them master coding basics. 

Kids experiment with a wide range of challenges while they explore various coding experiences. The playgrounds consist of drones and robots that wait for commands. As kids learn to write code, they control what the robots and drones do. As children master the basics, they can move on to extra challenges as they advance to the next level.

Kodable

Kodable is a creativity and programming app to help kids learn core programming for ages four to eleven.

The basic curriculum is free. Kodable also offers a flat fee for parents that includes an advanced curriculum accessible on any device. Kids use computer science basics through self-directed lessons. They create and play alongside cute characters.

Coding for kids starts at the Kindergarten level. Students progress to reading and writing JavaScript. As they progress, kids build their own characters, create levels, and work with other coders.

Kodable courses are organized like a classroom curriculum. Every unit consists of a teacher’s script, an unplugged activity, independent practice activities, and a test or quiz at the end.

Tynker

Tynker offers a sample of online programming free coding courses for kids. Access to the complete library of more than 40 text-based, block courses, and over 3,700 learning modules requires a monthly subscription.

Children learn in a self-paced online environment. The programming courses are space-themed and game-based using rocket ships and space aliens. Kids create and build their own apps and games at their own pace. Tynker is suitable for all ages and beginners to advanced level coders.

Stencyl

Stencyl is a free coding for kids game creation software where users can publish Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows, iPad, HTML5, Linux, and Flash games without code.

Kids ages six and older build their own games, characters and worlds.  For younger children, the graphics are child-friendly.

More advanced students get an option to see and edit the text-based code in the games they play. They are required to download and set up software. The forums provide invaluable support.

Kids who appreciate game development and design detail will enjoy learning to code with Stencyl.

Blockly

Blockly is a free resource that gives access to fun coding games for kids best suited for eight years and older. It uses a block-based approach to teach programming principles and JavaScript.

Students learn through a series of blocks and puzzles. The educational games teach programming skills to kids who don’t have prior coding experience.

The goal of the games is for children to solve tricky and fun puzzles using a drag-and-drop function to create a story that solves a problem. Puzzle pieces show up on the screen. Kids complete the story that makes up the program by completing the puzzle.

Ready To Start Your Kids Coding?

In today’s modern world, everyone knows that learning how to code gives kids a leg up for their future. Choosing the resource most suited for your child will depend upon age, interest, and level of knowledge.

The free and paid resources outlined above should help you know where to start exposing your children to programming.

The post Coding For Kids: Best Sites For Kids To Learn Programming first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Google created Chrome Music Lab (CML) in 2016. It is a simple to use online resource for students and music teachers.

Coders and musicians came together working with Chrome and web audio using freely accessible tools that let you use code to create sound.

The Chrome Music Lab’s goal is to enable visitors to visualize and touch sound to see what sound looks like, learn how melody works, create rhythms, and turn drawings into music.

The CML website has sections called experiments that enable anyone at any age to explore how music works. Each experiment has a different focus, such as piano roll, song maker, harmonics, voice spinner, and sound waves.

How Does Chrome Music Lab Work?

Chrome Music Lab is intuitive and straightforward music software. The bright and colorful features make it approachable and friendly to people of all ages.

CML shares open-source code so musicians and coders can build their own experiments. Anyone across devices can instantly open it up and start playing without waiting for an app to download and install.

The easier it is for anyone to explore music, the more compelling it is for everyone to be curious, creative, and inspired. Many of the experiments can only be used immediately and on the spot. This means that you won’t be able to download, export, or share your work.

Two of the experiments do allow you to share, embed, and download your creations. Those two experiments are Song Maker and Melody Maker.

How To Create a Melody Using Chrome Music Lab

Start by going to the CML website and clicking on the Melody Maker tab. You can see the name of each experiment by putting your cursor inside the block.

Melody maker has a simple interface. Simply click on different boxes. Each box makes a different note. Try clicking a few boxes and then hit Play to hear your melody.

The lower the block, the lower the sound. To change the speed, move the blue ball to the left to make it slower.

Make the music faster by moving the blue ball to the right.

Play around with the boxes until you create something you like. Click on a sound to delete it. The melody below is the first part of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

The orange button next to the play button repeats the melody you created.

How To Use Chrome Music Lab Song Maker

The Chrome Music Lab Song Maker is the most extensive project with many different options you can use.

The default screen has two octaves. Like Melody Maker, you click on the color-coded boxes to hear the notes associated with each box.

The heavy blue lines every two boxes represent one beat. Alternating gray and white sections indicate music measures.

Clicking the Marimba icon at the bottom will change the sound to a different instrument.

The additional melody instrument options are piano, strings, woodwind, and synth.

To erase or delete a note, click on it. If you want to delete several at a time, hold the mouse button down and drag over the notes you want to remove.

Or you can use the Undo button on the bottom right-hand side.

With Song Maker, you can play multiple notes at once making it sound like a chord.

Use the blocks tab on the bottom of the screen to change the rhythm sounds. The options are conga, electronic, blocks, and kit.

Change the speed or tempo by moving the blue ball on the bottom.

Try the different options to choose the one you like best. You can also use the microphone icon to record your voice or any other sound you want to add.

When you have finished creating your song, click the Save button in the lower-right corner. You will see a popup showing the link to view your song.

Or you can share your song to Facebook and Twitter, copy the embed code to put on a web page or download a Midi or Wav file.

How To Create Harmony & Chords

If there is something on your canvas and you want to start another project, click Restart in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Let’s start by holding down the mouse for two-beats and go up the scale as in the screenshot below.

Create harmony in thirds by adding the blocks as seen in the screenshot below. We have added two beats in blocks 2, 3, 4, and 5 below showing intervals of thirds. Listen to the harmony here.

Now let’s create chords from the harmony in Chrome Music Lab. Add a fifth interval to create each of the chords in the screenshot below.

Listen to how the chords sound here.

How To Make Cool Sounds With Chrome Music Lab Oscillators

Start by going to the CML homepage and clicking on Oscillators.

Oscillators make sound by vibrating at a specific frequency at a steady rate. Change frequencies by dragging the widget up or down. Use the arrows to change the type of oscillator.

Try it out, by goingo to https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Oscillators/. Move the oscillators up and down and listen to the sounds they make.

What Does Spectrogram Do?

See the frequencies that make up sound in a colorful picture with Spectrogram.

Compare the Spectrograms of different sounds. Start with choosing an instrument or sound source from the bottom part of the screen.

The image below shows a visual representation of the frequencies produced by a harp.

You can also use the microphone to record your own sounds or draw on the screen to create abstract funky sounds.

Start Making Music & Sounds With Chrome Music Lab

Are you ready to start playing around with Chrome Music Lab to see what kind of sounds and music you can create? It’s simple to get started. Head on over to the CML website and try some of the experiments.

The post Chrome Music Lab: How To Make Cool Music & Sounds first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Below are several quick things to try to fix your camera on a Desktop or SmartPhone for Zoom.

Is Your Video Turned On?

When you join a meeting, Zoom prompts you with a box that says Turn off my video.

Make sure this box isn’t checked. If it is, you will enter the meeting without being on camera. If you don’t see your web camera, make sure all other programs that also use your camera are closed.

Close All Other Programs

Whether you’re using a Mac, Linux, or Windows machine, try closing all other applications, especially apps that also use your camera such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

Your camera can only work with one application at a time. Sometimes these programs are running in the background, or they might be among your startup programs.

For Windows, you can use the Task Manager to end processes that might be hanging and using your camera.

On your mobile devices, hold down the Zoom app until an options menu pops up. Then tap App Info, and choose Force Stop. Wait a few minutes and restart it.

For a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, you can kill a process through the system monitor or through a line command in the terminal.

Try Restarting Zoom Camera Access

If your Zoom meeting camera is not working, first try to stop the video and then start it again. See the up arrow next to the Start Video/Stop Video setting on the bottom bar and click on it.

Make sure your camera is connected. Uncheck your camera and then check it again. See if the video starts working.

The next simple fix to try is to restart the Zoom app. Sometimes stopping and restarting an app will work.

If this doesn’t solve your problem, try restarting your computer.

Are You Up To Date?

Does your device have all the latest system updates? If not, update them now. Once you are sure your device is up to date, check your Zoom app.

Visit the official site and download the latest version for your browser or device if you aren’t already using it and check that your browser settings for camera access are correctly set.

Is It Your Camera or Zoom?

First, determine if the cause of your problem is your camera or the Zoom app itself. If it works on another application, the problem is with the Zoom app. The reverse is also true.

Make sure there isn’t something physically blocking or covering your camera.

Does Your Camera Have Permission to Work With Zoom?

Your device may be blocking access to your camera. To verify that the Zoom app has camera permission settings on Windows 10, start by typing Settings into the search bar.

From Windows Settings, click on Privacy > Camera under App permissions.

The first section allows access to your camera on your device. Make sure it’s on.

The next section globally gives your installed apps access to your camera. If it is off, toggle the switch to turn it On.

Note that you can change the permissions for individual apps under the Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera and Allow desktop apps to access your camera settings sections.

The Zoom app is located under the desktop apps section. Scroll down to find it and make sure it’s On.

Permissions for macOS

For Mac OS 10.14 Mojave, check your operating system permissions to be sure Zoom has access to your camera.

For other versions of Mac, contact Apple Support.

Permissions on Android Devices To Access Your Camera

• Go to Settings > Applications > Application Manager > Zoom
• If you don’t see access listed to take videos and pictures for the Zoom app, uninstall and reinstall the app

Uninstall and Reinstall Zoom

Once you have tried all the above steps and determined that your camera does work with other applications, try a fresh Zoom install.

First, you must remove your current installation of Zoom. Then for Mac and Windows operating systems, download it again from the Zoom website.

Reinstalling Zoom on Linux

Because Linux has many different distributions, see Installing or updating Zoom on Linux for different distros. 

Uninstall Zoom from your Android device by:

• Opening Settings
• Tapping Applications > Zoom > Uninstall
• Confirming Uninstall

Reinstall Zoom by going to the Play Store and clicking Install.

• Restart your device.

To delete the Zoom app on iOS:

• Hold down the Zoom app icon until a pop-up opens with the Delete App option next to a garbage can icon
• Click Delete App and then Delete again to confirm
• Go to the App Store to reinstall Zoom on your iOS device by clicking the little cloud icon

Click Install to download a fresh version of Zoom. When it’s finished downloading, the app will appear on your home screen.

Test and confirm that your camera is now working. If it is working for other apps but not for Zoom, contact the support team at Zoom.

If your camera doesn’t work with any app, contact Apple Support.

Zoom Best Practices

Now that you have solved your Zoom camera issues, below are a few best practice tips for Zoom meetings.

• Before starting or joining a Zoom meeting, test your audio and video settings
• Keep your camera at eye level, instead of too low or too high
• Look into the camera when speaking and make eye contact with participants
• Be courteous to others by muting yourself if you are multitasking or talking with someone not in the meeting
• Don’t forget that you are on camera and refrain from inappropriate behavior as others can see what you’re doing
• Try to have a clean and simple background or take advantage of Zoom’s virtual backgrounds
• Avoid disrupting background noises when possible such as barking dogs

If you are the host of a Zoom meeting, in addition to testing your settings prior to the start of the meeting, practice what you plan to do.

For example, be sure you know how to share your screen and record a meeting before it starts. Hosts don’t have to grant permission to participants to share their screens, but they can prevent them from doing so.

Also, learn how to give them permission to record your meeting if they ask.

Have you tried Zoom yet? It is a free and feature-rich video conferencing platform to meet family, friends, clients, staff, and business associates virtually. And now you know what to do if your Zoom meeting camera is not working.

The post Quick Fixes When Your Zoom Meeting Camera Isn’t Working first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Whether you’re setting creative assignment tasks for K-12 students or wanting to produce more complex lesson outlines or tutorials for college subjects, the list of resources below will add to your lesson development arsenal.

1. Socrative For K-12

Socrative is an app designed for efficient and fun ways to engage students from K-12 and track their learning.

Create engaging learning materials such as games, quizzes, competitions, and exercises for students. Teachers and parents can:

• See each students’ answers in real-time
• Review students’ understanding of the question, at the individual and class level
• Use the instant results to determine next steps in instruction
• Save reports in Socrative account for quick download, transfer, or email
• Create virtual classrooms to launch activities
• Share quizzes with students via a unique code

The free version of Socrative includes:

• 50 students per room
• One public classroom
• Launching one activity at a time
• Instant questioning
• Space race assessment

The pro version costs $59.99/year. It includes everything from the free version plus:

• Up to 20 public or private rooms
• The ability to launch up to 20 activities at the same time
• A countdown timer for Space Race
• Importing an Excel or CSV roster

Learning is fun when students are engaged in fun activities. Socrative enables teachers or parents to identify where students need more assistance.

Use Socrative on all major platforms and devices. Students can access the teaching materials from their computers, tablets, laptops, and smartphones.

There is also a version of Scorative available for higher education and corporations for $99/year.

2. DesignCap Presentation Templates

Rather than starting from scratch to create an educational presentation, use one of DesignCap’s professionally designed templates.

Create your education materials in three easy steps:

• Select a template from the gallery to start designing your presentation
• Customize and edit it for your lesson from the thousands of fonts and resources
• Export your finished presentation or share it online with your students

Create unique presentations to produce educational resources to help your students learn. Try it for free.

3. Crossword Puzzle Maker

Crossword puzzles improve verbal skills and help students think better. They also help students understand problems and learn how to solve them.

With the Crossword Puzzle Generator from Education.com, you can choose a theme and a grade level from preschool to 5th grade.

Enter one word and its definitions as a pair per line of input as in the above screenshot. Write the answer first, followed by a comma, and then by the word’s clue.

Press Create when done to see a preview of your puzzle on the right-hand side. Press Scramble to see a different layout.

Sign up for a free account and access the resources from Education.com. Create your account by signing in with Facebook, Google, or with your email address and password. Education.com also includes numerous at-home learning resources categorized by grade, subject, topic, and standard.

You can download your puzzle and answer key as a PDF file or store it as part of a complete curriculum on an educational and teacher storage platform like OnlyOffice.

4. Blendspace

Use Blendspace to create interactive projects, presentations, and other digital lessons with Tes Teach app-based tools for students from preschool through 12^th grade. Sign up for a free account with Google, Facebook, or your email address and password.

Quickly build lessons using a mix of online resources and your own content. Get started by typing your topic into the search bar.

Tes Teach will find videos, images, and other related content from a list of sources including YouTube, Google, and other teachers from Tes.

Your search will bring up free and paid teaching resources created by others. Drag and drop results from your search into your lesson. Or, upload files directly from your computer.

You can also use the Add Text button to type directly into your lesson. The text editor has advanced formatting options. When you’re finished collecting your materials, give your lesson a title and label each tile. To re-arrange a tile, drag and drop it to where you want it.

Click Add Quiz to include it with your lesson.

Add a question and give a few multiple-choice answers. Tes Teach will keep track of student responses, comments, likes, and more so teachers can evaluate student engagement and performance.

5. FlexClip

FlexClip is a free tool that enables teachers to create custom DIY educational videos or presentations for lesson materials. It’s currently only available in Google Chrome.

Get your ideas and points across to your students with FlexClip’s video tutorial maker. Produce a step-by-step instructional lesson or produce a teaching video.

Use the online editor to add pictures, videos, text, and transitions. Start from scratch or customize one of the numerous video templates. For example, create a video about tigers to teach children facts in an entertaining way. Watching a video is more engaging than reading text.

FlexClip is easy to use and versatile in functionality. You can:

• Add music
• Trim videos
• Add text
• Merge videos
• Change the aspect ratio
• Zoom and split videos
• Choose video assets from the media library

The free version includes:

• One stock video per project
• SD downloads
• Maximum of 12 projects
• Videos up to one minute

The Basic and Plus Options offer additional features such as HD downloads, longer videos, and custom watermarks.

6. Educreations

Teachers can use creative tools from Educreations to share ideas, learn new things, and collaborate with students.

Engage students by recording your voice and screen to create video tutorials. Other features include:

• Importing pictures and documents from your computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox
• Inserting any web page
• Displaying a custom map
• Embedding videos on your website
• Automatically saving your videos to your account
• Sharing videos with others

Educational materials created by Educreation’s tools are built for the digital classroom. Students can also create their own videos to show what they’ve learned.

The basic version is free and includes the ability to:

• Record and share lessons
• Create and join classes
• Use basic whiteboard tools
• Save one draft at a time
• Access 50MB of storage space
• Get email support

There are two upgrade options available (Pro Classroom and Pro School) and include additional features such as:

• Exporting videos
• Importing maps, documents, and other files
• Saving unlimited drafts
• Increased or unlimited storage

Educreations is an intuitive, simple-to-use, and an essential tool for teaching and learning at home.

7. Explain Everything

Explain Everything is a complete online and mobile whiteboard app (iPad, Chromebook, and Android ) for teachers to present, create videos, and sketch notes.

Explaining concepts and teaching are more effective when presented engagingly and interactively. Below are some of the ways to use Explain Everything to create lessons for students at home.

• Create video introductions for each lesson
• Summarize a lesson by outlining the most essential features, use various media formats, and add your voice as narration
• Assign homework instructions in video format

Teachers can inspire students to learn through tutorials, interactive experiences, and group activities. The free version is for teachers and students who are just getting started and includes:

• Up to three projects
• Collaboration with voice chat
• Usage on any device
• Sharing web video links

Explain Everything has two upgrade options with additional features.

Learning doesn’t have to be boring. Try some of the tools above to create engaging, interactive, and fun lessons for students at home.

The post 7 Online Tools To Create Lessons For Students At Home first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Taking classes online, also known as distance learning, can be a more flexible and affordable method of developing new skills than traditional brick and mortar classrooms.

In this article, I will take a look at how online classes work, their benefit to your education and career, and I will sample some online sites with tips on how to get started.

Online Classes Provide Flexibility

At times when people are unable to access typical face-to-face learning opportunities, people usually turn to online education opportunities.

This not only applies to higher learning centers but to parents looking for online learning opportunities when access to public schooling is limited or where you have physical limitations that keep you from attending traditional classes.

Many of these online learning environments are offered for free and enable people from various educational backgrounds to pursue areas of interest, whether for personal or career advancement.

How Do Online Classes Work?

Technology has revolutionized the way people learn today. With online classes, instead of having to sit in a classroom, students of all ages can study and learn from home. Depending upon the class or program, you’ll need to have a stable internet connection and some required software (usually just a word processor).

What Is an Online Classroom?

Online classes are offered and run much the same way they do in a classroom setting. The difference is students don’t have to be physically present at a school.

The structure of each online classroom will vary depending upon the course or program and the goals of the organization. However, the typical scenario is for a student to log into a virtual portal or a learning management system (LMS) that hosts and tracks online learning.

Students can access this virtual portal to view their course materials, check their grades, contact professors, and monitor their progress. Check with the school to see if their LMS is accessible on mobile if you want to be able to access courses from anywhere.

Online Classes are Flexible

One of the many benefits of taking online classes is the ability to work at your own pace. However, there will still be deadlines to follow for when assignments are due.

Some programs offer live online lectures at specific times where students can participate in discussions via videoconferencing software.

How to Get Started and Log On

Students need to have access to the software used by the online university. They will start by going to the website and logging on with their credentials to access the material related to the courses they’re taking. Different educational institutions use various LMSs. Each one is different in format but has the same function and are all cloud-based.

LMS software gives students access to their assignments and grades from any remote site. It provides a platform for teachers and students to ask and respond to questions and provide feedback.

Some of the more popular LMS software programs are:

ProProfs LMS Software

ProProfs LMS is an intuitive SaaS system. Educators can create online courses, share, and track performance in a centralized virtual classroom.

It provides completely self-paced eLearning solutions and adds interactivity to the course that includes flashcards and quizzes.

Moodle

Moodle is a free open source online LMS that provides educators with a customizable and scalable platform for online learning.

It delivers a quality distance learning experience by providing a secure and personalized environment.

Canvas LMS

Canvas LMS is an open, intuitive, cloud-based platform for online classes. It provides online course material, gives assignments to students, and streamlines all the content and digital tools for teachers and students to use.

Blackboard

Blackboard helps global learners and educators enable institutional and student success. They accomplish this by leveraging innovative services and technologies.

Google Online Learning Tools

Whether it’s through Google’s G Suite Education, Google Classroom or Google Hangouts Meet for business, Google makes it easier for people globally to learn online.

Enterprise-level features are available on the Google Platform including the capacity to record meetings and save them to Google Drive, and live stream for up to 100,000 viewers.

Also, students can join classes using Google Classroom to pursue their online studies.

How to Sign in to Google Classroom

There are three types of user accounts you can use to log into Google Classroom:

• Your personal Google Account used outside of a school setting, often for homeschooling.
• A school account, also called a G Suite for Education account, that is set up by the institution. Students can get account login details from the IT department at the school or from their teacher
• The G Suite Account set up by the educational institution’s administrator

Some Programs Include In-Person Components

Some programs require students to participate in a campus residency program before, during, or after the course is over. Lengths, requirements, and details will vary according to the program and the educational facility.

Some programs include networking events, informational sessions, and team-building activities. Health fields such as nursing will likely require spending time in a clinical setting.

How Can Students Interact with Teachers and Classmates Online?

Students can communicate with others as well as their teachers using discussion forums, video conferencing, social media, phone, and email.

What Should Students Expect from Online Classes?

One primary concern for many students enrolling in online programs is that they think they need to be a technical guru.

This is not the case at all.  Online learning has evolved over the years to become more user-friendly while the student population has become more skilled in digital technology in general. One of the benefits of learning in a classroom is the ability to be presented with different opinions and viewpoints from educators and classmates. 

However, this same type of interaction is possible in a virtual classroom environment.  The flexibility of online classes is well-worth any surmountable potential challenges students might face.

The post How Do Online Classes Work? What to Expect When You Sign Up first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Going that route, you can embed a Google Calendar onto your site. It’s also free and easy to use. All you need to get started is a Google account.

Get started by logging into your Google account, click on the apps grid next to your profile picture and click on Calendar.

Get the Embed Code

Open Options by clicking on the three dots adjacent to the calendar you want to embed.  

Click on Settings and sharing from the popup.

Scroll down the Calendar settings page until you find the Integrate calendar section.

To make your calendar visible to everyone and not only those you share it with, you will need to make it public.

To do this, enable the box next to Make available to public under Access permissions.

Embed the code into the HTML section of a web page or post. For example, if you are using WordPress, create a new page.

Click on Text to switch to the HTML editor. Copy the Embed code from your Google calendar and paste it into the page.

Click on the Visual tab to see what the calendar looks like on your page. You can also select Preview to see it on the front end of your website.

Paste the Calendar HTML code into any web page where you’re allowed tto embed objects.

If you like Google’s default format settings for the calendar, you’re good to go. To change the color, size, and other options of your calendar, you can customize its settings.

Customize Google Calendar Settings

Click the Customize button located directly under the embed code. This will open a new window.

Edit or add a title to your calendar by typing it under Calendar title. If you want the title to show, enable the box next to Title.

Specify which elements you want to show on your calendar by checking the following settings under Show:

• Title
• Navigation buttons
• Data
• Print icon
• Tabs
• Calendar list
• Time Zone

The default size of the Google Calendar is 800 by 600. Change the size by moving the up and down arrows next to Width and Height.

For example, if you want to embed a calendar on a sidebar, reduce the Width to a smaller size such as 300.

Other settings you can customize include:

• Background color to match your brand color
• Time zone and language
• Border (on or off)
• Default month
• First day of the week

After you customize the options, view your final live calendar on your web page. When you change an event on your calendar, it will update automatically.

Below is a screenshot of the monthly view.

You can also view your calendar by week.

If you want to make any changes, you can always go back to your Google Calendar settings and adjust them..

Be sure to copy and paste the new HTML code after making any formatting updates  to reflect the new changes.

How to Let Visitors Save a Calendar Event

To enable visitors to save your event on their own Google Calendar, add a button to your website. Make sure your calendar is public.

Open your Google Calendar. Note that changes can only be made from a computer and not a mobile app.

To add an event, select the day you want to add it to and click on Create in the top left-hand corner.

Fill in the details of your event in the popup and click Save.

To open an event in your calendar, double-click it. Then click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner to open Options, and select Publish event.

Embed the HTML code from the popup window on your website to enable visitors to add the event to their own Google Calendar.

Go back to your website and paste the code from the source or HTML view where you want the event button to display.

When a visitor clicks on the Google Calendar button, it will open their calendar and add the event to it. You can also invite people to your event using the link displayed in the same popup window.

Embed Google Calendar into WordPress Using Plugins

As with most functions in WordPress, there is a plugin for that. Embedding a Google Calendar into a WordPress website is no exception. Below are several WordPress plugins for you to consider using. 

Simple Calendar Plugin

Simple Calendar shows your events by week, month, or in a list. It’s easy to set up, mobile responsive, and customizable to your needs.

Other features include: 

• Manage events in Google and have them updated automatically in WordPress
• Color code events
• Intuitive and straightforward to configure
• Additional functionality with add-ons

This plugin is an excellent choice for Google Calendar power users. One unique feature is the ability to transfer color-coded events.

Dan’s Embedder for Google Calendar

Display Google calendars in a list or full view with Dan’s Embedder for Google Calendar.

There is no need to manage or import events in WordPress. You only need one or more public Google Calendars. Other features include:

• Configure options with shortcodes
• Specify how many items to show
• Embed multiple calendars 

This plugin requires an API key. Follow the steps below to get yours:

• Visit Google Developers Console
• From the side menu, check APIs and auth > Credential
• Click the Create new key button from the Public API access section
• Select Browser key and leave Referrer Limitation blank
• Put this key on the plugin settings page

Event Calendar WD

Create an event promotion and manage or add events to your WordPress blog with Event Calendar WD.

Provide a detailed description of your events using the WordPress editor, attach tags, and assign categories to each one. Some other features include:

• User-friendly interface for full control over how you display calendars and events on your website
• Easily customize and manage your calendars
• An unlimited number of calendars and events
• Optimize every event for better SEO and search engine visibility
• Enable social sharing buttons to spread the word about your events

WP Simple Booking Calendar

Quickly and easily install and embed Google Calendars on your website.

The free version of WP Simple Booking Calendar gives you access to the basic features you need such as keeping track of your events. Highlights of the free version include:

• Responsive layout
• Backup and restore data and calendars
• Display your availability 

For more advanced publishing and editing functions, you can upgrade to the Premium version.

Users who want to manage and display their availability for their services on their website or announce upcoming events will benefit greatly from embedding a Google Calendar on their site.

Integrating a calendar directly on your website will keep visitors on your site and increase the chances they’ll make an appointment or sign up for an event.

All you need is an internet connection, a web browser, and a Google account to create and display a professional-looking calendar on your site.

The post How To Embed Google Calendar On Your Website first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Learning how to use Excel doesn’t have to be difficult. Taking it one step at a time will help you move from a novice to an expert (or at least closer to that point) – at your pace.

As a preview of what we are going to cover in this article, think worksheets, basic usable functions and formulas, and navigating a worksheet or workbook. Granted, we will not be covering every possible Excel function but we will cover enough that it gives you an idea of how to approach the others. 

Basic Definitions

It really is helpful if we cover a few definitions. More than likely, you have heard these terms (or already know what they are).  But we will cover them to be sure and be all set for the rest of the process in learning how to use Excel.

Workbooks vs. Worksheets

Excel documents are called Workbooks and when you first create an Excel document (the workbook), many (not all) Excel versions will automatically include three tabs, each with its own blank worksheet. If your version of Excel doesn’t do that, don’t worry, we will learn how to create them.

The Worksheets are the actual parts where you enter the data.  If it is easier to think of it visually, think of the worksheets as those tabs. You can add tabs or delete tabs by right-clicking and choosing the delete option.  Those worksheets are the actual spreadsheets with which we work and they are housed in the workbook file.

The Ribbon

The Ribbon spreads across the Excel application like a row of shortcuts, but shortcuts that are represented visually (with text descriptions).  This is helpful when you want to do something in short order and especially when you need help determining what you want to do.  

There is a different grouping of ribbon buttons depending on which section/group you choose from the top menu options (i.e. Home, Insert, Data, Review, etc.) and the visual options presented will relate to those groupings. 

Excel Shortcuts

Shortcuts are helpful in navigating the Excel software quickly, so it is helpful (but not absolutely essential) to learn them.  Some of them are learned by seeing the shortcuts listed in the menus of the older versions of the Excel application and then trying them out for yourself.  

Another way to learn Excel shortcuts is to view a list of them on the website of the Excel developers.  Even if your version of Excel doesn’t display the shortcuts, most of them still work.

Formulas vs. Functions

Functions are built-in capabilities of Excel and are used in formulas.  For example, if you wanted to insert a formula that calculated the sum of numbers in different cells of a spreadsheet, you could use the function SUM() to do just that.  

More on this function (and other functions) a bit further on in this article.

Formula Bar

The formula bar is an area that appears below the Ribbon.  It is used for formulas and data. You enter the data in the cell and it will also appear in the formula bar if you have your mouse on that cell.  

When we reference the formula bar, we are simply indicating that we should type the formula in that spot while having the appropriate cell selected (which, again, will automatically happen if you select the cell and start typing).

Creating & Formatting a Worksheet Example

There are many things you can do with your Excel Worksheet.  We will give you some example steps as we go along in this article so you can try them out for yourself.

The First Workbook

It is helpful to start with a blank Workbook.  So, go ahead and select New.  This may vary, depending on your version of Excel, but is generally in the File area.

Note:  The above image says Open at the top to illustrate that you can get to the New (left-hand side, pointed to with the green arrow) from anywhere.  This is a screenshot of the newer Excel.

When you click on New you are more than likely going to get some example templates.  The templates themselves may vary between versions of Excel, but you should get some sort of selection.  

One way of learning how to use Excel is to play with those templates and see what makes them “tick”.  For our article, we are starting with a blank document and playing around with data and formulas, etc.  

So go ahead and select the blank document option.  The interface will vary, from version to version, but should be similar enough to get the idea. A little later we will also download another sample Excel sheet.

Inserting the Data

There are many different ways to get data into your spreadsheet (a.k.a. worksheet).  One way is to simply type what you want where you want it. Choose the particular cell and just start typing.

Another way is to copy data and then paste it into your Spreadsheet.  Granted, if you are copying data that is not in a table format it can get a little interesting as to where it lands in your document.  But fortunately we can always edit the document and recopy and paste elsewhere, as needed.

You can try the copy/paste method now by selecting a portion of this article, copying it, and then pasting into your blank spreadsheet.

After selecting the portion of the article and copying it, go to your spreadsheet and click on the desired cell where you want to start the paste and do so.  The method shown above is using the right-click menu and then selecting “Paste” in the form of the icon.

It is possible that you may get an error when using the Excel built-in paste method, even with the other Excel built-in methods as well.  Fortunately, the error warning (above) helps to point you in the right direction to get the data you copied into the sheet.

When pasting the data, Excel does a pretty good job of interpreting it. In our example, I copied the first two paragraphs of this section and Excel presented it in two rows.  Since there was an actual space between the paragraphs, Excel reproduced that as well (with a blank row). If you are copying a table, Excel does an even better job of reproducing it in the sheet.

Also, you can use the button in the Ribbon to paste.  For visual people, this is really helpful. It is shown in the image below.

Some versions of Excel (especially the older versions) allow you to import data (which works best with similar files or CSV – comma-separated values – files).  Some newer versions of Excel do not have that option but you can still open the other file (the one that you want to import), use a select all and then copy and paste it into your Excel spreadsheet.  

When import is available, it is generally found under the File menu.  In the new version(s) of Excel, you may be rerouted to more of a graphical user interface when you click on File.  Simply click the arrow in the top left to return back to your worksheet.

Hyperlinking

Hyperlinking is fairly easy, especially when using the Ribbon.  You will find the hyperlink button under the Insert menu in the newer Excel versions.  It may also be accessed via a shortcut like command-K.

Formatting Data (Example: Numbers and Dates)

Sometimes it is helpful to format the data.  This is especially true with numbers. Why? Sometimes numbers automatically fall into a general format (sort of default) which is more like a text format. But often, we want our numbers to behave as numbers.  

The other example would be dates, which we may want to format to ensure that all of our dates appear consistent, like 20200101 or 01/01/20 or whatever format we choose for our date format.

You can access the option to format your data in a couple of different ways, shown in the below images.

Once you have accessed, say, the Number format, you will have several options.  These options appear when you use the right-click method.  When you use the Ribbon, your options are right there in the Ribbon.  It all depends on which is easier for you.  

If you have been using Excel for a while, the right-click method, with the resulting number format dialog box (shown below) may be easier to understand.  If you are newer or more visual, the Ribbon method may make more sense (and much quicker to use). Both provide you with number formatting options.

If you type anything that resembles a date, the newer versions of Excel are nice enough to reflect that in the Ribbon as shown in the below image.

From the Ribbon you can select formats for your date.  For example, you can choose a short date or a long date.  Go ahead and try it and view your results.

Presentation Formatting (Example: Aligning Text)

It is also helpful to understand how to align your data, whether you want it all to line up to the left or to the right (or justified, etc).  This too can be accessed via the Ribbon.

As you can see from the images above, the alignment of the text (i.e. right, left, etc.) is on the second row of the Ribbon option.  You can also choose other alignment options (i.e. top, bottom) in the Ribbon.  

Also, if you notice, aligning things like numbers may not look right when aligned left (where text looks better) but does look better when aligned right.  The alignment is very similar to what you would see in a word processing application.

Columns & Rows

It is helpful to know how to work with, as well as adjust the width and dimensions of, columns and rows.  Fortunately, once you get the hang of it, it is fairly easy to do.  

There are two parts to adding or deleting rows or columns.  The first part is the selection process and the other is the right-click and choosing the insert or delete option.  

Remember the data we copied from this article and pasted into our blank Excel sheet in the above example?  We probably don’t need it anymore so it is a perfect example for the process of deleting rows.

Remember our first step?  We need to select the rows.  Go ahead and click on the row number (to the left of the top left cell) and drag downward with your mouse to the bottom row that you want to delete.  In this case, we are selecting three rows.  

Then, the second part of our procedure is to click on Delete Rows and watch Excel delete those rows.

The process for inserting a row is similar but you do not have to select more than one row.  Excel will determine where you click is where you want to insert the row.  

To start the process, click on the row number that you want to be below the new row.  This tells Excel to select the entire row for you. From the spot where you are, Excel will insert the row above that.  You do so by right-clicking and choosing Insert Rows.

As you can see above, we typed 10 in row 10.  Then, after selecting 10 (row 10), right-clicking, and choosing Insert Rows, the number 10 went down one row.  It resulted in the 10 now being in row 11.  

This demonstrates how the inserted row was placed above the selected row.  Go ahead and try it for yourself, so you can see how the insertion process works.

If you need more than one row, you can do so by selecting more than one row and this tells Excel how many you want and that quantity will be inserted above the row number selected.  

The following pictures show this in a visual format, including how the 10 went down three rows, the number of rows inserted. 

Inserting and deleting columns is basically the same except that you are selecting from the top (columns) instead of the left (rows).

Filters & Duplicates

When we have a lot of data to work with it helps if we have a couple of tricks up our sleeves in order to more easily work with that data.  

For example, let’s say you have a bunch of financial data but you only need to look at specific data.  One way to do that is to use an Excel “Filter.”

First, let’s find an Excel Worksheet that presents a lot of data so we have something to test this on (without having to type all of the data ourselves).  You can download just such a sample from Microsoft. Keep in mind that that is the direct link to the download so the Excel example file should start downloading right away when you click on that link.

Now that we have the document, let’s look at the volume of data.  Quite a bit, isn’t it? Note: the image above will look a bit different from what you have in your sample file and that is normal. 

Let’s say you only wanted to see data from Germany.  Use the “Filter” option in the Ribbon (under “Home”).  It is combined with the “Sort” option towards the right (in the newer Excel versions). 

Now, tell Excel what options you want.  In this case, we are looking for data on Germany as the selected country.

You will notice that when you select the filter option, little pull-down arrows appear in the columns.  When an arrow is selected, you have several options, including the “Text Filters” option that we will be using.  You have an option to sort ascending or descending.  

It makes sense why Excel combines these in the Ribbon since all of these options appear in the pull-down list.  We will be selecting the “Equals…” under the “Text Filters.”

After we select what we want to do (in this case Filter), let’s provide the information/criteria.  We would like to see all the data from Germany so that is what we type in the box. Then, click “OK.”

You will notice that now we only see data from Germany.  The data has been filtered. The other data is still there.  It is just hidden from view. There will come a time when you want to discontinue the filter and see all of the data.  Simply return to the pull-down and choose to clear the filter, as shown in the below image.

Sometimes you will have data sets that include duplicate data.  It is much easier if you only have singular data. For example, why would you want the exact same financial data record twice (or more) in your Excel Worksheet?  

Below is an example of a data set that has some data that is repeated (shown highlighted in yellow).

To remove duplicates (or more, as in this case), start by clicking on one of the rows that represents the duplicate data (that contains the data that is repeated).  This is shown in the below image.

Now, visit the “Data” tab or section and from there, you can see a button on the Ribbon that says “Remove Duplicates.” Click that.

The first portion of this process presents you with a dialog box similar to what you see in the below image.  Don’t let this confuse you. It is simply asking you which column to look at when identifying the duplicate data.  

For example, if you had several rows with the same first and last name but basically gibberish in the other columns (like a copy/paste from a website for example) and you only needed unique rows for the first and last name, you would select those columns so that the gibberish that may not be duplicate does not come into consideration in removing the excess data.  

In this case, we left the selection as “all columns” because we had duplicated rows manually so we knew that all of the columns were exactly the same in our example.  (You can do the same with the Excel example file and test it.)

After you click “OK” on the above dialog box, you will see the result and in this case, three rows were identified as matching and two of them were removed.

Now, the resulting data (shown below) matches the data we started with before we went through the addition and removal of duplicates.

You have just learned a couple tricks.  These are especially helpful when dealing with larger data sets.  Go ahead and try some other buttons that you see on the Ribbon and see what they do.  You can also duplicate your Excel example file if you want to retain the original form.  Rename the file you downloaded and re-download another copy. Or duplicate the file on your computer.  

What I did was duplicate the tab with all of the financial data (after copying it into my other example file, the one we started with that was blank) and with the duplicate tab I had two versions to play with at will.  You can try this by using the right-click on the tab and choosing “Duplicate.”

Conditional Formatting

This part of the article is included in the section on creating the Workbook because of its display benefits.  If it seems a little complicated or you are looking for functions and formulas, skip this section and come back to it at your leisure.

Conditional Formatting is handy if you want to highlight certain data.  In this example, we are going to use our Excel Example file (with all of the financial data) and look for the “Gross Sales” that are over $25,000. 

In order to do this, we first have to highlight the group of cells that we want evaluated.  Now, keep in mind, you do not want to highlight the entire column or row. You only want to highlight just the cells that you want evaluated.  Otherwise, the other cells (like headings) will also be evaluated and you would be surprised what Excel does with those headings (as an example).

So, we have our desired cells highlighted and now we click on the “Home” section/group and then “Conditional Formatting.”

When we click on “Conditional Formatting” in the Ribbon, we have some options.  In this case we want to highlight the cells that are greater than $25,000 so that is how we make our selection, as shown in the below image.

Now we will see a dialog box and we can type the value in the box.  We type 25000. You don’t have to worry about commas or anything and in fact, it works better if you just type in the raw number.

After we click “OK” we will see that the fields are automatically colored according to our choice (to the right) in our “Greater Than” above dialog box.  In this case, “Light Red Fill with Dark Red Text). We could have chosen a different display option as well.

This conditional formatting is a great way to see, at a glance, data that is essential for one project or another.  In this case, we could see the “Segments” (as they are referred to in the Excel Example file) that have been able to exceed $25,000 in Gross Sales.

Working With Formulas and Functions

Learning how to use functions in Excel is very helpful.  They are the basic guts of the formulas. If you want to see a listing of the functions to get an idea of what is available, click on the “Insert” menu/group and then at the far left, choose “Function/Functions.”

Even though the purpose of this button in the Excel Ribbon is to insert an actual function (which can also be accomplished by typing in the formula bar, starting with an equals sign and then starting to type the desired function), we can also use this to see what is available.  You can scroll through the functions to get a sort of idea of what you can use in your formulas.  

Granted, it is also very helpful to simply try them out and see what they do.  You can select the group that you want to peruse by choosing a category, like “Commonly Used” for a shorter list of functions but a list that is often used (and for which some functions are covered in this article).

We will be using some of these functions in the examples of the formulas we discuss in this article.

The Equals = Sign

The equals sign ( = ) is very important in Excel.  It plays an essential role. This is especially true in the cases of formulas.  Basically, you don’t have a formula without preceding it with an equals sign. And without the formula, it is simply the data (or text) you have entered in that cell.  

So just remember that before you are asking Excel to calculate or automate anything for you, that you type an equals sign ( = ) in the cell.

If you include a $ sign, that tells Excel not to move the formula.  Normally, the auto adjustment of formulas (using what is called relative cell references), to changes in the worksheet, is a helpful thing but sometimes you may not want it and with that $ sign, you are able to tell Excel that.  You simply insert the $ in front of the letter and number of the cell reference.  

So a relative cell reference of D25 becomes $D$25.  If this part is confusing, don’t worry about it. You can come back to it (or play with it with an Excel blank workbook).

The Awesome Ampersand >> &

The ampersand ( & ) is a fun little formula “tool,” allowing you to combine cells.  For example, let’s say that you have a column for first names and another column for last names and you want to create a column for the full name.  You can use the & to do just that.

Let’s try it in an Excel Worksheet.  For this example, let’s use a blank sheet so we don’t interrupt any other project.  Go ahead and type your first name in A1 and type your last name in B1. Now, to combine them, click your mouse on the C1 cell and type this formula:  =A1 & “ “ & B1.  Please only use the part in italics and not any of the rest of it (like not using the period).  

What do you see in C1?  You should see your full name complete with a space between your first and last names, as would be normal in typing your full name.  The & “ “ & portion of the formula is what produced that space. If you had not included “ “ you would have had your first name and last name without a space between them (go ahead and try it if you want to see the result).

Another similar formula uses CONCAT but we will learn about that a little later.  For now, keep in mind what the ampersand ( & ) can do for you as this little tip comes in handy in many situations.

SUM() Function

The SUM() function is very handy and it does just what it describes.  It adds up the numbers you tell Excel to include and gives you the sum of their values.  You can do this in a couple of different ways.

We started by typing in some numbers so we had some data to work with in the use of the function.  We simply used 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and started in A1 and typed in each cell going downward toward A5.

Now, to use the SUM() function, start by clicking in the desired cell, in this case we used A6, and typing =SUM( in the formula bar.  In this example, stop when you get to the first “(.” Now, click in A1 (the top-most cell) and drag your mouse to A5 (or the bottom-most cell you want to include) and then return to the formula bar and type the closing “).”  Do not include the periods or quotation marks and just the parentheses. 

The other way to use this function is to manually type the information in the formula bar.  This is especially helpful if you have quite a few numbers and scrolling to grab them is a bit difficult.  Start this method the same way that you did for the example above, with “=SUM(.”

Then, type the top-most cell’s cell reference.  In this case, that would be A1. Include a colon ( : ) and then type the bottom-most cell’s cell reference. In this case, that would be A5.

AVERAGE() Function

What if you wanted to figure out what the average of a group of numbers was?  You can easily do that with the AVERAGE() function. You will notice, in the steps below, that it is basically the same as the SUM() function above but with a different function.  

With that in mind, we start by selecting the cell we want to use for the result (in this case A6) and then start typing with an equals sign ( = ) and the word AVERAGE.  You will notice that as you begin typing it you are offered suggestions and can click on AVERAGE instead of typing the full word, if you like.

Ensure that you have an opening parenthesis in your formula before we add our cell range.  Otherwise, you will receive an error.

Now that we have “=AVERAGE(“ typed in our A6 cell (or whichever cell you are using for the result) we can select the cell range that we want to use.  In this case we are using A1 through A5.  

Keep in mind that you can also type it in manually rather than using the mouse to select the range.  If you have a large data set typing in the range is probably easier than the scrolling that would be required to select it.  But, of course, it is up to you.

To complete the process simply type in the closing parenthesis “)” and you will receive the average of the five numbers.  As you can see, this process is very similar to the SUM() process and other functions. Once you get the hang of one function, the others will be easier.

COUNTIF() Function

Let’s say we wanted to count how many times a certain number shows up in a data set.  First, let’s prepare our file for this function so that we have something to count. Remove any formula that you may have in A6.  Now, either copy A1 through A5 and paste starting in A6 or simply type the same numbers in the cells going downward starting with A6 and the value of 1 and then A7 with 2, etc.

Now, in A11 let’s start our function/formula.  In this case, we are going to type “=COUNTIF(.”  Then, we will select cells A1 through A10.

Be sure that you type or select “COUNTIF” and not one of the other COUNT-like functions or we will not get the same result.

Before we do like we have with our other functions, and type the closing parenthesis “)” we need to answer the question of criteria and type that, after a comma “,” and before the parenthesis “).”

What is defined by the “criteria?”  That is where we tell Excel what we want it to count (in this case).  We typed a comma and then a “5” and then the closing parenthesis to obtain the count of the number of fives (5) that appear in the list of numbers.  That result would be two (2) as there are two occurrences.

CONCAT or CONCANTENATE() Function

Similar to our example using just the ampersand ( & ) in our formula, you can combine cells using the CONCAT() function.  Go ahead and try it, using our same example.  

Type your first name in A1 and your last name in B1.  Then, in C1 type CONCAT(A1, “ “ , B1).

You will see that you get the same result as we did with the ampersand (&).  Many people use the ampersand because it is easier and less cumbersome but now you see that you also have another option.

Note: This function may be CONCANTENATE in your version of Excel.  Microsoft shortened the function name to just CONCAT and that tends to be easier to type (and remember) in the later versions of the software.  Fortunately, if you start typing CONCA in your formula bar (after the equals sign), you will see which version your version of Excel uses and can select it by clicking on it with the mouse..

Remember that when you start to type it, to allow your version of Excel to reveal the correct function, to only type “CONCA” (or shorter) and not “CONCAN” (as the start for CONCANTENATE) or you may not see Excel’s suggestion since that is where the two functions start to differ.

Don’t be surprised if you prefer to use the merge method with the ampersand (&) instead of CONCAT().  That is normal.

If/Then Formulas

Let’s say we want to use an If/Then Formula to identify Discount (sort of a second discount) amount in a new column in our Example Excel file.  In that case, first we start by adding a column and we are adding it after Column F and before Column G (again, in our downloaded example file).

Now, we type in the formula.  In this case, we type it in F2 and it is “=IF(E2>25000, “DISCOUNT 2”).  This fulfills what the formula is looking for with a test (E2 greater than 25k) and then a result if the number in E2 passes that test (“DISCOUNT 2”). 

Now, copy F2 and paste in the cells that follow it in the F column.

The formula will automatically adjust for each cell (relative cell referencing), with a reference to the appropriate cell.  Remember that if you do not want it to automatically adjust, you can precede the cell alpha with a $ sign as well as the number, like A1 is $A$1. 

You can see, in the image above, that “DISCOUNT 2” appears in all of the cells in the F2 column.  This is because the formula tells it to look at the E2 cell (represented by $E$2) and no relative cells.  So, when the formula is copied to the next cell (i.e. F3) it is still looking at the E2 cell because of the dollar signs.  So, all of the cells give the same result because they have the same formula referencing the same cell.

Also, if you want a value to show up instead of the word, “FALSE,” simply add a comma and then the word or number that you want to appear (text should be in quotes) at the end of the formula, before the ending parenthesis.

Managing Your Excel Projects

Fortunately, with the way that Excel documents are designed, you can do quite a bit with your Excel Workbooks.  The ability to have different worksheets (tabs) in your document allows you to have related content all in one file.  Also, if you feel that you are creating something that may have formulas that work better (or worse) you can copy (right-click option) your Worksheets (tabs) to have various versions of your Worksheet.  

You can rename your tabs and use date codes to let you know which versions are the newest (or oldest).  This is just one example of how you can use those tabs to your advantage in managing your Excel projects.

Here is an example of renaming your tabs in one of the later versions of Excel.  You start by clicking on the tab and you get a result similar to the image here: 

If you do not receive that response, that is ok.  You may have an earlier version of Excel but it is somewhat intuitive in the way that it allows you to rename the tabs.  You can right-click on the tab and get an option to “rename” in the earlier versions of Excel, as well, and sometimes simply type right in the tab.

Excel provides you with so many opportunities in your journey in learning how to use Excel.  Now it is time to go out and use it! Have fun.

The post Microsoft Excel Basics Tutorial – Learning How to Use Excel first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

This article will explain how to get your music on one of the most popular online streaming services. Learn how to submit your music to Spotify.

Music Distribution Companies

Content on Spotify is either delivered by a distributor or a record label. Unless you are signed to a label, to submit your music to Spotify, you will need to work with a third-party distributor or aggregator service.

Spotify works with companies that distribute and license your music. They pay the earned royalties when your music is streamed.

There are numerous music distribution services. However, the three most popular ones are:

• TuneCore
• DistroKid
• CDBaby

What are the Differences in Each Platform?

All the above sites basically work the same way and distribute your music to the same platforms. The process starts with paying the fee, uploading your song or album, and entering all the applicable information.

Distrokid

DistokKid is a relatively new company. It is also the first service to offer a one-time annual fee of $19.99 for unlimited distributions.

There are no additional fees when releasing new songs or albums. The turnaround time is quick, and they don’t charge a commission. Artists keep 100% of the royalties. 

DistroKid recently rolled out a new, exclusive feature called Synced Lyrics. 

Any artist can automatically create and upload synced lyrics. Listeners can sing along as the words scroll in perfect time with the music, just like karaoke.

CDBaby

CDBaby has been in business since 1998. There are no annual fees. Instead, you pay for each piece of music once.

If you are looking for a service that will offer physical distribution of CDs so you can sell them in their online store, CDBaby is the service for you.

They also charge 30% commission for YouTube distribution and 9% for streaming your music.

TuneCore

TuneCore doesn’t take commissions. Artists keep 100% of the royalties they earn.

TuneCore also offers reports to show where fans are streaming and downloading your music. They charge a fee for each song or album you want to distribute.

Steps to Submit Your Music to Spotify

The process to sign up for any of the above three services is straightforward and relatively similar.

To submit your music to Spotify:

• Sign up for the distribution service you choose
• Select the type of release (single or album)
• Enter the artist, release information, and song (or album) details
• Upload your music file or files (File Format: 16-bit/44.1k WAV files) and artwork
• Choose the platform(s) where you want to distribute your music
• Select a release date
• Confirm your information and submit

Spotify Playlists

Spotify playlists are the easiest way for people to hear your music. They are one of the best ways to introduce your music to new fans.

Playlists are owned by the people who create them. The best way for new artists to get started with playlists is to start building their own.

Searchable, well-constructed playlists are a path from Spotify’s search box to an artist’s profile. Including favorite songs from well-known musicians and mixing them with your own similar-sounding music might seem tacky, but it is not dishonest and it is effective.

The better a artist curates and promotes their playlists, the higher their chances of attracting and engaging listeners.

Of course, getting on the playlists of famous artists is an ideal way to get your music heard. One method is to reach out to music influencers or regular Spotify artists who have a large following.  

You can send them a message on social media and request swapping exposure. Ask them to include your song on their playlist in exchange for sharing their music, playlists, and posts on your social media.

How to Create a Playlist on Spotify

From your desktop, open the Spotify web player. Click the New Playlist option on the bottom left of the player.

Add a name and description to your new playlist. Use keywords to increase the chances of coming up in search.

Choose or create an image for your playlist. It is highly recommended that you choose an engaging and relevant cover to attract listeners to your music.

To add tracks to your playlist, look through new releases, recommended songs, browse, or search. Look for the three dots next to the PLAY button and select Add to Playlist from the dropdown menu.

You can also drag tracks into the name of your playlist on the left side navigation.

How to Create a Spotify Playlist Cover

As discussed above, Spotify playlists have a significant impact on getting your music heard. When a listener comes across a track in a playlist, it is the cover art that they see first.

The artwork for your music will contextualize your song, grab attention, or tell the story of your single or album.

There is no need to be a graphic designer or a Photoshop expert to create an engaging playlist cover. Below are a few tools you can use to create impressive and cool artwork.

Replace Cover

A quick and easy tool to create your own playlist artwork is Replace Cover.

You can also use the random button and cycle through random image and theme combinations to find one you like.

Bannersnack

Bannersnack is a drag-and-drop and easy-to-use graphics editor used to create all kinds of images, including Spotify playlist covers.

Use a pre-made template and customize it or create your own. Bannersnack has more features than Replace Cover.

Canva

Canva offers a library of pre-made Cover templates to get you started.

Customize the colors, fonts, images, and filters to create cover art that reflects your identity.

Cover Art Guidelines for Spotify

Follow the rules below when creating your playlist cover image:

• Images must be a square
• Use high-resolution images for quality display
• 4 MB maximum image file size
• Jpeg images only

Streaming is the most common way people listen to music today. And Spotify is one of the most popular platforms for artists to get their music heard.

When you submit your music to Spotify and get your tracks added to others’ playlists, you’ll have the opportunity for greater exposure to listeners.

Spotify also offers an Artists App for Android and iOS where musicians can track their music as it goes live, learn more about their listeners, and control their presence on Spotify.

The post How to Submit Your Music to Spotify first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

You can use an image as a background or a solid color or pattern. There are basically three ways you can do this in Excel: using Page Layout, adjusting the transparency of an image and inserting an object.

Add an Excel Background Image In Excel Using Page Layout

• Open the page layout ribbon by clicking on Page Layout. 
• Look under the Page Setup section for Background.

• Click on Background and see the three options – from a file, Bing Image Search, and OneDrive-Personal.

• Let’s start by selecting the first option From a file and choose an image from your computer.

• Select an image and then click Insert. See the background chosen behind your data in the screenshot below.

As you scroll down the page or as you move from side to side, the image repeats itself over and over in the background.

Be careful with the Excel background image you choose to use. As you can see in the image above, the data is obscured in many areas because the area on the picture is dark and so is the text.

You have a few options. You can change the color of the text and bold it.

Keep in mind that your data is the focal point of your spreadsheet. If the Excel background image makes it hard to read, you are diluting the impact of your information.

This is a downside of using background images. You don’t want the background to interfere with your data. 

Another disadvantage is the data gets smaller when you zoom out on your spreadsheet while the image size stays relatively the same.  

If you zoom in, the text gets larger, and the image remains relatively stable.

The Excel background image does not follow the data by staying proportional to it. Let’s use the second option now to add a background.

First, delete the old one by going to Page Layout > Delete Background.

The second option is to insert a picture from a Bing Image Search. This is often a better option because you might not have the best image on your computer.

Since this spreadsheet is about financial information in different countries, let’s search for images about maps. 

By default, the search will only bring up results for Creative Commons images. These are images that have been uploaded to the web to be shared.

Click on the filter icon to only see the image Sizes, Types, Layouts, and Colors and select the ones you prefer.

See the screenshot below with a picture of a map background. I bolded the black text to make it stand out more.

Backgrounds can be visually appealing, but you must be careful that they don’t make your text unreadable.

When you insert an Excel background image using this method, the image does not show up when printed. 

It is therefore only useful when you are showing your spreadsheet to others in a presentation and you want to grab their attention.

Insert a Picture & Adjust Its Transparency

Make sure you are on the Home tab and go to Insert > Pictures.

Choose an image from your computer and click Insert. Notice that the picture is not a background image. It is floating on top of the spreadsheet data.

You can move the image around the spreadsheet and resize it by putting your cursor on one of the circles on the edges and dragging it.

An advantage of inserting an Excel background image rather than adding a background is that you can adjust the transparency. If your spreadsheet is very long, this method might not be the most convenient method.  

Start by pushing the image to the top left-hand corner of your spreadsheet. Then drag the picture so that it covers all the data.

Adjust the transparency by clicking on the image. Then click on Picture Format tab > Transparency > Picture Transparency Options.

Add transparency to the picture so that it is sitting in the background and the data is behind the data. Move the toggle on the Transparency option to the right until the data becomes clear and can be easily read. 

This method uses an inserted picture that behaves like a background image and will show up when printed.

Insert An Object In Excel

If your spreadsheet is very long, the previous method could be cumbersome. Inserting an object might be a better option.

• Start by clicking Insert from the ribbon menu. 
• Then click Shapes. The drop-down menu next to Shapes will open. 

• Select a shape by clicking on it. We will use a rectangular shape. Using your mouse, drop the shape on your spreadsheet to create it.  

• Then resize it by dragging the circular buttons around the shape until it covers all your data. Right-click on the shape and select Format Shape.

• Click Fill from the menu > Picture or texture fill > Insert (under Picture source). Insert a picture from a file, online pictures, or from icons.
• Let’s choose a Texture fill. Under the Format Shape, select Picture or texture fill. Then click the drop-down menu next to Texture and choose one to use.

• The texture will fill the shape and cover your data. Use the slider next to Transparency to set a percentage that allows your data behind the texture to show. In the screenshot below, we used 75% transparency.

When you use this method, the background will show up when you print.

When adding a background to an Excel spreadsheet, keep in mind that being able to read your data clearly is vital.

Adjusting the transparency of the background and changing the font color or style can improve the readability of your data while adding a little pizzazz to your spreadsheet.

Have you had any trouble adding an Excel background image – or perhaps you have a tip on how to add other background features? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments below.

The post How to Add and Print Excel Background Images first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Some of its most powerful assets are the plugins developed by independent programmers. Plugins are small pieces of software that improve GIMP’s functionality and add new features to it.

Installing GIMP plugins starts with copying the plugin to the appropriate directory and then restarting GIMP.

Where Is Your GIMP Profile?

GIMP keeps the following user’s information in the GIMP profile (directory or folder):

• Settings and presets for tools.
• Keyboard shortcuts.
• Brushes, palettes, gradients, scripts, plugins, brush dynamics, patterns, and fonts.

Users can find their GIMP profile in the following locations for various operating systems:

• Linux: /home/{your_id}/.gimp-2.10.4 (or your version of GIMP)
• OSX: /Users/{your_id}/Library/GIMP/2.10.4 (or your version of GIMP)
• Windows: C:Usersyour-nameAppdataRoamingGIMP2.10.4 (or your version of GIMP)

When you restart your system, GIMP will scan your directories and load the plugins available. There are three types of GIMP plugins:

• Script-fu extensions with a .scm extension.
• Zip files.
• Python scripts with a .py extension.

Where To Put Script-fu Extensions

• From the Gimp top menu, go to Edit > Preferences > Folders > Scripts.

• If you are using Windows and see more than one directory like in the screenshot above, choose your user or home directory.
• Copy the .scm plugin to your directory. When you re-start GIMP, it will be in your plugin Script-Fu menu.

Where To Put Zip Files & Python Scripts

You will need to copy the files for these plugins to the GIMP plugins directory. Extract the zip files first and copy the contents, not the zip file.

Go to Edit > Preferences > Folders > Plugins to get to the plugins directory. In Windows, choose your user or home directory.

Copy the contents of the zip file and the .py file to the plugin’s directory, restart GIMP, and the plugins will be in your GIMP menu.

Installing GIMP Plugins Manually

• If the plugin is in a zip file, extract the files and copy its contents to GIMP’s plugins and scripts folder. From GIMP, go to Edit >  Preferences > Folders.

• Scroll down to the Plug-ins and Scripts sections. You will see two folders in each section. The first is a system folder. The second is the user folder.
• Click on the second folder.
• Open the file manager by clicking on Show file location in the file manager.

• Move PY formats into the Plug-ins folder

• Move SCM formats into the Scripts folder.

• Restart GIMP.

Installing GIMP Plugins Automatically

Some plugins included in the GIMP distribution come with their own installer. This varies with the operating system and the plugin itself.

Most of these plugins are accessed through the Filters menu. Double-click on the plugin to install it.

Keep in mind that GIMP Scripts and Plug-ins are platform-specific. Make sure when choosing files to download that they match your operating system.

Below are some popular plugins for GIMP.

BIMP – Batch Image Manipulation Plugin

BIMP enables users to apply manipulations to a group of images such as:

• Change compression and format
• Resize
• Flip and rotate
• Crop
• Watermark
• Change compression and format
• Color and curve correction
• Rename

Hugin

You can assemble a mosaic of images to create a panorama with Hugin.

Hugin is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac and functions as a standalone app.

Refocus

Some pictures come out blurry or out of focus. Refocus will try to fix them by smoothing the edges to clear up the photo.

Adjust the parameters in the plugin dialogue and preview your results.

CarTOONize

Convert your photos into cartoons with CarTOONize. Choose between five different filters.

Darktable

Darktable is a photography workflow application. It acts as a virtual lighttable and darkroom managing a database of your digital negatives.

View your negatives through a zoomable lighttable. Develop and enhance raw images.

Watermark

Unfortunately, people steal others’ content on the Internet and it’s challenging to prevent. However, you can protect your digital art by using the Watermark GIMP plugin.

Add a watermark text to your images to protect them. Choose from size, fonts, and position options. This plugin is a Script-Fu plugin.

Beautify

Improve and brighten your pictures with Beautify.

Aggregate many different editing options and photo effects into one interface. Use this plugin to turn GIMP into your very own photo retouching studio. Correct contrasts and colors, apply filters, and add a little glamour to your photos.

GIMP is a free and powerful photo editing tool. With the addition of plugins, GIMP is one of the best free alternatives to Photoshop.

The post Installing GIMP Plugins: A How-To Guide first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

This article is a tutorial about how to combine multiple Google calendars to one calendar display.

What Are The Benefits Of Google Calendar?

Easily share all or only part of your calendar with family, friends, co-workers, and clients. Other benefits include:

• Access calendars anywhere with an Internet connection
• Attach documents or invitations to calendar events
• Coordinate meeting dates and times with others using Google Calendar with the Find a time feature
• Locations and maps can be attached to a calendar event
• Includes a fast search feature
• Syncs with many free scheduling tools

Add a New Calendar

New calendars can only be set up from a browser and not from the Google Calendar app. After you create it, you can access it from the app.

• From your computer, log into your Google account and go to Google Calendar. Check the time zone in the pop up to make sure it is correct.

• On the left side, click on the + sign to the right of Other calendars > Add other calendars.
• Click on Create new calendar from the options that pop up.

• Give your calendar a name and description and then click Create calendar.

Combining Other Google Calendars

In addition to adding your own, you can combine multiple Google calendars. 

• If you want to add someone else’s calendar to yours, choose the + sign next to Other calendars and click on Subscribe to calendar.

• Enter the Gmail address and see a popup message that says you don’t have access to that calendar. Use the form to request access.

• You can also add public calendars such as sports and religious holidays. Use the same steps as above, this time clicking on Browse calendars of interest. These events will show up on all instances of your calendar, Including your Android calendars.

• You can also add birthdays of the people in your Gmail contact list. Look on the left side of your Google Calendar for Birthdays. Click on the eye icon to show or hide from view.

How To Configure Calendars

Customize your calendar by adjusting its settings. Hover over the calendar’s name on the left-side and click on the three-dots.

A pop-up opens with the following options:

• Display this only: only see this calendar in the viewing window
• Hide from list: to hide this calendar from the viewing window
• Setting and sharing: to change other advanced settings options

Sharing Your Calendar

In Google Calendar, you can create multiple calendars that each have different sharing settings. Below are several options for sharing:

• Share your schedule with a specific person or people
• Add a new calendar that allows different people to edit it
• Delegate permissions to someone who can schedule and edit events for you

Keep in mind that giving full permission to anyone will allow them to share your calendar with others, edit and create events, and respond to invitations.

Share an Existing Calendar

Following these steps or read more on how you can easily share your Google Calendar.

• Open Google Calendar on your computer (you can’t use the app to share)
• Choose the calendar you want to share from the left side and expand it by clicking on it
• Click on Calendar settings
• Under Access permissions, you can make the calendar public if you want (Notice of the warning that making your calendar public will make all events visible to anyone)

• Under Share with specific people, click Add people by their name or email address
• Click on the dropdown menu to set permissions and then click Send

• The people you send an invitation to must click the link in the email to add your calendar to their list of calendars

You can only share your calendar with someone who has a Google account.

Permission Settings

Like the share settings in other Google applications, you can decide how those you share your calendar with find or make changes to your events. 

The screenshot above shows the four permission settings. Here is what each of them means and what you are allowing others to do with your shared calendar.

Find only free/busy (hide details)

Others will only be able to see when an event is booked and when there is free time. They will not see the details of your event.

See all event details

This permission setting allows others to see all the details for events (except private ones), including time zone settings.

Make changes to events

When you use this permission setting, others can edit and add events, find details about every event including private ones, and permanently delete or restore events from Trash.

Make changes and manage sharing

This permission allows others to add and edit events, change sharing settings, permanently delete the calendar or restore from trash, and find details for all your events, including private events.

How To Sync All Your Calendars

If you want to see all your events in one calendar, you can sync them together by following the steps below:

• Open Google Calendar
• Click on the gear near your profile picture in the upper-right-hand corner, then on Settings

• Under the General tab, click on Import & export > Export

• Export one calendar and save it on your desktop
• Go back to your main calendar
• Click on the gear, then Settings
• From Import & Export, choose Import your calendar

To differentiate between events from different calendars, devise a color-coding system. For example, use green for work events and pink for personal events.

How To Sync Your Google Calendar To Your iPhone

To sync your Google Calendar with your iPhone, follow the steps below:

• Go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts
• Click on Add Account
• Select Google
• Click Continue after popup that asks if Settings can use google.com to sign in
• Enter your Gmail email address > Next
• Type in your Gmail password > Next
• Sync Calendar contacts, events, and emails

Now you will see your Google Calendar events on your iPhone calendar.

How To Sync Google Calendar with Your Android Phone

Android devices easily connect and sync all your calendars with your Google account. Use the Google calendar app or with the calendar app that came installed on your phone.

• Open the Settings app
• Scroll to Accounts
• Tap Add account
• If you have already connected your Google account, select it from the list of accounts
• Choose your Google username
• Make sure the box next to Calendar is checked
• If you are not already connected to your Google account, choose Google from the list
• Choose Existing
• Log in with your Google account email and password

Combining multiple Google Calendars can help you stay organized. You can choose to see all your events on one calendar or select which one you want to see at any time.

The post How to Combine Multiple Google Calendars first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Many devices are embedded with Google Assistant and built-in microphones to enable users to do various things, such as order food, call a friend, or look up the weather.

There are so many Google Assistant tips can help you that you might not be aware of.

Find Your Phone

How often do you misplace your phone? If you are like most people, the answer is very often. It is especially frustrating when you are in your home but have no idea where it is.

If your phone is running Android 4.0 or later, you will have access to the Find My Device function. To install it, search for Find My Device in the Google Play Store.

Select the first search result, click on it, and choose the green Install button. Once installed, from your Google account, sign into your Find My Device by following the steps below:

• From your app drawer or home screen, open Find Device.
• If you have more than one Google account, choose the one you want to use.
• Click Continue.
• Put in your Google account password.
• Tap Sign in.
• Give the service location access.

To link your Google Account:

• Open the Google Home app
• Tap Settings
• Scroll to find Google Assistant service
• Tap More > Assistant > Voice Match > Add devices
• Make sure your device is listed and selected
• Tap Continue > Next > I agree
• Ensure that Personal results are turned on
• Agree to terms and set up Voice Match

To find your phone, say: “OK Google, ring my phone.” Google Assistant will ask you which phone you want to ring and call the one you choose.

Make a Holiday List

Holiday times can be stressful, but with Google Assistant, you can create and manage lists and notes in Bring, Any.do, and Google Keep.

Connect the Assistant with the app you choose to use. Select the Services tab in the Google Assistant setting and choose which provider you want from the Notes and Lists section.

Set Reminders

With so many things to do every day, it’s easy to forget something important. Google Assistant will remind you.

Set reminders for yourself by location, date, day, and time. Start by turning on Personal Results in the Home app.

Next, you will need to set up Voice Match in the Assistant settings panel so that your voice will be recognized.

Using the reminder feature is as simple as talking to your device. For example, you can say: “Okay, Google, remind me to take my antibiotic at 7 pm”.

Your assistant will let you know that it has filed your requested reminder.

Screen Your Calls

Don’t want to get annoying calls from telemarketers? Google Assistant can screen your calls for you.

The latest Pixel phones come with a Call Screen feature that enables your Assistant to answer your phone.

Currently, this feature is only available on Google Pixel phones. When your assistant answers your phone on your behalf, it will provide you with a transcript in real-time.

This way you can decide if you want more information, pick up the call, or let the caller know you aren’t available.

There is no need to turn the feature on as it’s on by default. When your phone rings, in addition to seeing the standard call interface, you will see a new Screen call button.

To use the feature, tap on the Screen call button to have Google Assistant answer it. The caller will be told that they are speaking to a screening service and asked what the reason is for their call.

You will see the response in text message format and can choose to take the call or not.

Where Should You Eat, Drink, Or Go Dancing?

Need some ideas on where to go out? Ask Google Assistant for some suggestions. Your assistant will respond with a list of names of restaurants near you including their star ratings.

To get more information about any restaurant, tap on it to see its address, directions, and a link to call.

Get The News

Google is keeping up with the trends of digital audio and podcasting with their new Your News Update. To use it, you need to update your Assistant news settings.

Go to Assistant settings > Your News Update > You > News. This is where you can change your News playlist format.

To get the news, say “Hey Google, tell me the news” or you can add news to another one of your Assistant Routines.

When you ask Google to play you the news, the update will start with a mixture of news stories selected for you based on your location, interests, preferences and history.

Send a Text

Typing can be time-consuming. Send a text message with Google Assistant without lifting a finger. Simply tell your device that you want to send a text.

Speak the name of the contact and your message. When you have completed speaking, review it on the screen.

With Google Assistant, you will have the opportunity to edit your message if there is an error. If it’s correct, say send it.

Get Answers To Your Questions

Ask your assistant any question you want, no matter how obscure. Start by saying, “OK, Google, how far is the moon from earth?”

Google will respond verbally “here’s what I found” and then list the sources. In some cases, it will read the information to you and then tell you the source.

Purchase Movie Tickets

There is no longer a need to wait in line when you want to see a movie. Ask Google “what movies are playing near me this weekend”?

[purchase tickets]

When you choose the theatre, movie, day, and time, you will be given the option to purchase tickets through your Google Assistant via numerous ticketing services such as AMC, Fandango, and MovieTickets.com.

Your Assistant will then open the Chrome browser to guide you through the purchase process.

Set Your Alarm

You don’t need an alarm clock when you have your own personal assistant with Google. Tell Google Assistant “Wake me up at 8 am” and it will.

Do you want to wake up to a song or artist rather than a boring alarm sound? Tell your Assistant to wake you up to a tune you like.

There’s even more. You can tell use Google Routines to set an alarm that will trigger other actions such as turning on your lights after you wake up.

To use ready-made Routines:

• Open the Google Home app and tap Settings.
• Search for Google Assistant service.
• Click More Settings > Assistant > Routines.
• Select the routine you want to use and set the actions.

Google Assistant is a voice-assisted personal aide that offers voice searching, voice commands, and voice-activated controls to make your life easier.

Complete tasks and get help by saying “Hey, Google” or “OK Google” to benefit from the artificial intelligence used to collect relevant information about your interests and what matters to you.

Do you have any other cool Google Assistant tips or hacks that make your life easier? You can help out other HDG readers by sharing them in the comments below!

The post Top 10 Google Assistant Tips & Uses To Make Life Easier first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

This is why adding audio narration to PowerPoint slides timings is helpful and useful. You can record the narration from inside your presentation so that it plays while viewers watch. Adding voice-over narration to your Powerpoint presentation or video will turn it into evergreen stand-alone content.

This article will discuss how to add audio narration to a Powerpoint presentation for Windows 10.

Test Your Default Microphone

The first thing you will need is a working microphone. Most computers today come with a built-in microphone. If you plan to use your computer default microphone, you don’t have to take additional steps to add a microphone.

However, you do want to make sure it’s working and loud enough to hear. To set your default microphone, test it to make sure it’s working. To customize the properties, follow the steps below.

• Start by typing Settings in the search bar.
• Click on System > Sound.

• Look under Input for options to configure your microphone. Click the dropdown menu under Choose your input device to assign your default microphone.
• If you only have one microphone, there is nothing to select. To open additional microphone settings, click on Device properties > Additional device settings.

• Enable or disable speaker and access audio driver information under the General tab.
• The Listen tab enables you to allow or deny your mic to listen to the speakers.
• Adjust the microphone volume and balance settings under Levels.
• Change the default sample rate and bit depth under the Advanced tab.
• If enabled on your computer, Spatial sound can enhance the audio experience.

To test your microphone, go back to the Input section. If it’s not working, you can use the Troubleshoot button to try to resolve the issue.

Install a USB Microphone

• To enable your microphone, first, plug in the USB microphone to your computer. Then right-click on the volume icon on the taskbar. 
• Click on Sounds.

• Under the Recording tab, choose the microphone you want to set up and click Configure. 
• Under Configure your Speech Recognition experience, click on Set up microphone.

• When the setup wizard starts, choose the type of microphone you are installing and click Next.

• The next screen you see will provide tips for using your microphone and some text to read to test your settings. 
• Follow the instructions from the wizard and test the microphone to make sure it is working correctly.  

Set USB Microphone As Input Device To Use

If you want to use the external USB microphone you just set up to record your narration, you need to set it as the input device.

• Right-click on the volume icon on the right side of the taskbar and click on Open Sound settings.  

• From the Sound Settings window, scroll down to Input and tick the box under Choose your input device. 
• Select your USB microphone as the input device.

Rehearse & Take Notes

Now that your microphone is set up and tested, instead of jumping right in and starting to record, take the time to practice what you are going to say.

Take notes, write out a script, and rehearse the timings to save time, minimize errors, and ensure that your audio sounds fluid and natural.

Now you are ready to start recording.

Turn On the Recording Tab (Office 365)

• To turn on the Recording tab, navigate to File, click Options > Customize Ribbon > Recording > OK.

How To Record An Audio Narration For One Slide

The easiest way to add audio to your PowerPoint presentation is to record one slide at a time.

• Start by selecting the slide where you want to add the audio.
• Navigate to Insert > Audio > Record Audio.

• Choose a name for your voiceover and replace Recorded Sound with the name.  

• To start your recording, click the button with the red dot. Read from your script and click the stop button when finished. 
• The stop button is the middle square and will be highlighted in red while you are recording.

• To hear your recording, press the play button. If you like how it sounds and want to keep it, click OK.

• You can also hear the audio by clicking on the embedded audio icon on your slide. It will open a bar underneath where you can play your audio.

• You will now have a visible audio icon on your slide. To hide this icon for your final presentation, click on it. 
• Click Playback in the top bar navigation, and tick off Hide During Show.

Record An Audio Narration For An Entire Slideshow (Office 365)

• Click on Recording from the top navigation, and then Record Slide Show. 

• Choose either Record from Current Slide or Record from Beginning. The slideshow will open in the Recording window.

• There are buttons on the top left for recording, pausing, stopping, and playing. Click on the red, round button to start recording. There will be a three-second countdown for you to get ready.
• The slide you are recording will show up in the main pane of the window. To advance to the next slide, use the arrow on the right side of the window. To move to a previous slide, use the arrow on the left. Powerpoint with Office 365 will automatically record the time you spend talking on each slide. This includes any animations you have set up.
• Use the buttons on the bottom right-hand side of the screen to toggle your microphone, camera, and camera preview on or off. If you choose to re-record part or all your narration, Powerpoint will erase the old version to enable you to record again.
• When you finish recording, click on the square button at the top left-hand corner of the recording window.

• The timings for each slide will show up in the Slide Sorter view. To see your timings, click on View > Slide Sorter.

• See the timings under the slides from the Slide Sorter view in the image below.

Preview Your Slide Show

• To preview your slideshow with your narration, animations, and timings (set up before you started recording), click Slide Show from the top bar navigation. Make sure you are on the Home tab.
• Choose From Beginning or From Current Slide.

• To hear the audio for a single slide, go to Normal view, click on the sound icon and click Play. Note that recorded animations won’t show up when previewing from a single slide.

Manually Set Slide Timings

• You can also manually set your slide timings to sync with your narrations. To do so, select the slide from Normal View and then click on Transitions. 
• From the Timing group, select the After check box under Advance Slide.

• Enter how long you want the slide to stay on the screen before moving onto the next. Do this for every slide you want to use manual timings.

Publish Your Presentation For Sharing

You can save your presentation as a Powerpoint Show (.ppsx) or a video to share it with others. When a viewer opens a slideshow file, it will immediately open in slideshow mode.

To save your presentation, go to File, Save As and select the format from the dropdown menu.

If your presentation is huge and you want to send it as an email attachment, you might need to compress the file. A better option is to upload it to Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive, and send the link to the desired recipients.

The post How To Add Audio Narration To a Powerpoint Presentation first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Below we will discuss ten of the best Android home screen widgets.

Battery Widget Reborn

Since we just mentioned above that using widgets can drain your battery faster than if you didn’t use them, the Battery Widget Reborn is one to consider.

As the name implies, this Android home screen widget enables users to monitor how much charge is remaining on your phone battery. It is a simple design with a small 1×1 circle that has a number inside. The number can be estimated time left or a percentage.

In addition to monitoring, users can also use quick toggles to turn off settings such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and switch to dark mode.

If you are looking for additional battery stats, you can click through to see them too.

Flashlight Widget

You never know when you might need to use a flashlight. Since your cell phone is always either in your hand or within reach, having this app on your phone is a must-have.

Unfortunately, Android flashlight widgets have a bad reputation of being packed with permissions and junk ads that have been known to snoop through your data or worse.

Flashlight Widget is safe, open-source, free to use, has no ads, and doesn’t require any permissions. The only thing a user needs to do is turn the flashlight on or off.

1Weather: Widget Forecast Radar

Track forecasts and current weather conditions for your location as well as up to 12 others with 1Weather: Widget Forecast Radar.

See graphical representations of the current conditions such as humidity, precipitation forecast, severe weather alerts (the U.S. only), and maps.

Easily share weather conditions via social media and email with your friends. If you are planning a trip based on the weather, this is a very helpful widget.

Slider Widget – Volumes

Rather than searching through your settings to change the sound volume on your phone or adjust the screen brightness, Slider Widget – Volumes enables you to make these adjustments directly from your home screen.

Use either your hardware button or the widget slider to change the brightness and volume. Choose between using individual sliders for each adjustment or just one for all.

You can control the size of the widget so that it blends into your home screen.

Email Blue Mail

Manage an unlimited number of email accounts from various providers in one place with Email Blue Mail.

Send group emails, enable smart push notifications, and personalization across multiple email accounts.  

The home screen widget has an easy to use and intuitive design, coupled with a powerful unified interface. It also features a unified calendar to create, edit and view all your events and meetings easily.

Best Stocks Widget: Investing.com Stock Exchange

If you have investments in the stock market, Investing.com: Stocks, Finance, Markets & News is a widget you will want to install on your Android device.

Track all your stock prices and search for stocks on over 70 global exchanges. After you search for a stock, it is automatically added to your widget.

Modify or resize it to fit your home screen and view price updates in real-time. For those into cryptocurrency, Investing.com has a Bitcoin widget too.

Muzei Live Wallpaper

Do you like to change your phones’ home screen wallpaper often with beautiful images? Then Muzei Live Wallpaper is the widget for you.

Choose between the live wallpaper provided by Muzei of famous works of art or your favorite photos of family, friends, holidays and scenes from your own gallery.

Your home screen will be refreshed based on the images you select and the schedule you set up to use on your phone.

When using other widgets or icons, the artwork will dim, blur, or recede into the background and remain unobtrusive.  

Muzei is developer-friendly. You can access the code or use an API to build your own wallpaper source and create even more customizations for the App.

Google

Using the Google widget lets you keep up-to-date about the things that are important to you.

You can find answers to your questions quickly, search for places of interest, and browse Google with just a tap.

There is no need to open your browser to find anything you want on the web.

My Data Manager – Data Usage

If you have ever had to pay for mobile data overages, you know how much they add up. 

Keeping track of your data with My Data Manager – Data Usage is a great widget to help you avoid those excess charges.

Set custom alarms and alerts in real-time, track which apps are using the most data, and check data usage across multiple devices for family shared plans.

Simple Sticky Note Widget

Notes are invaluable. They allow you to keep track of a multitude of events, information and things to do and free up a busy mind, keeping it undistracted. Jot down notes for random things you need to do or your shopping list directly on the home screen of your Android.

Adjust the shape and size of your note and access it easily. Instead of using physical sticky notes or clunky note apps that come with your phone, use Simple Sticky Note to make sure you get things done on your to-do-list.

Use widgets to customize your Android’s home screen and enhance your Android experience.

All the above widgets are free to use from the Google Play Store. Some offer paid upgrades for increased functionality. Widgets can become cumbersome and so it’s a good idea to save battery and real estate on your Smartphone by only having those widgets that are going to enhance your experience and prove truly useful.

The post 10 Of The Best Android Home Screen Widgets first appeared on Online Tech Tips.