#edit WHY did the app/my tablet cross out EVERYTHING

[acecasinova]

Well at least somebody's finally chipped him! A feral dog vampire just loose in a city is dangerous for all involved... Luckily, Kindness is prepared for breaking in her new "project" and teaching Lazarus some basic tricks~

[dukevividwriting]

21

It was pleasant in Beach city. No monster attacks, no gem attacks, no planetary threat. Within the beach house Steven Universe and Connie Maheswaran relaxed upon his bed, under the aftenoon sun of the fall sky; with Steven sitting up back to the wall looking at his phone with a curious and ever growing mischevious look upon his face and Connie slouching upon his chest and stomach, making edits to their fanfiction of unfamiliar familiar on his tablet. The cool and chilled melody played from the Tubetube app on his phone through a bluetooth speaker gave the area a lazy day ambiance. It was greatly appreciated.

Steven chuckled as a plan formed in his mind, wondering if it would work. Unaware of the fact that his 16 year old 'Jam Bud' was looking questioningly but amused.

C:You seem like you're enjoying yourself, are you even paying attention?

The playful pout that over took the girls lips caused Steven to blush with embarrassment as he gave an apologetic chortle.

S: Sorry, about that...Guess I kind of got side tracked...Forgive me?

She grimace slightly before sighing, letting it go. Not like she could stay mad him for long anyway, not over something so small. She forgave her cohort with a nod and the smile she reserves just for him. Steven blushed as he started to gaze at her face, particularly her lips. Full, pinkish- brown, slightly chap and so enticing; as of late he been wanting to feel if her lips are as soft as they look.

He knows they're soft..He has healed them more than once by thumb, but he began to wonder if they were softer to kiss, rather to touch. It wasn't til he watched those lips sound out his name more than once...That he realized she was trying to get his attention! He backed up quickly hitting his head on the wall. He held down and rubbed his head as he grimaced in pain, but smiled as he heard Connie giggled in pity and a bit of mirth before giving him a small kiss where his pain was.

C: There, all better. Not magical healing but it should suffice.

S: Hey now, don't sale yourself short. I can't even feel the pain anymore.

C: Yeah. sure. Now wanna explain why you're up in the clouds today?

S:Guess I've been out of it huh? Hehe...It's nothing just...Read a comic about a game..it looked like fun. Thought we can play.

Connie arched an eyebrow and put on an accusatory smirk, causing the hybrid to look away.

C: Uh-huh. Soo...How do we play?

Steven eyes widen and an blush crossed his cheeks.

S:Really?!

Connie shrugged with an sly smile as she looked at Stevens blushing grin.

C: Why not? It'll be a nice break from editing, especially since you don't seem to be all into it, and maybe I can find out what got you so interested about my ugly mug huh?

With that said, Connie placed the tablet on the sides of his bed and stood up and looked towards her Biscuit with a smile.

S: you seem eager.

C: like I said, It's a nice break from editing, and I get to beat you in a new game. So...how do we play, shortstop?

Steven drunk in Connies' image as he stood up in front of her. A blue collared shirt with short khaki pants and black suspenders and black socks. Her hair flowing down to her shoulders and curly. Black eyes filled with fire and shined with competition and mirth.

She was taller than him by a quater foot, 5'9 to his 5'6 but, they both started to fill out and developed. Steven in the term of being more stocky and solidifying his muscles..and Connie with leaner stronger muscle, along with fuller and shapier curves, something she not exactly too use to yet.

S: I maybe short but at least my view is always nice.

Connie blushed and folded her arms across her stomach and despite herself she couldn't stop the smile from taking over her face. Couldn't help the feeling of self- confidence that swelled when he made complimentary( and flirty) jokes like that. She gave him a small tap to his chest with the back of fist lightly, and kept it there. The two took a quick moment to really look each other as the song changed to something slightly more jazzy and romantic, not that they cared.

C: Yeah sure..Now how do we play?

S: Right..It's a simple game called '21' and all you have you do is follow my command. If you can't you lose.

C: Dosen't seem like much of a game, but sure.

Steven smiled at her confidence before he raised his right hand up.

S:Give me 5.

C:Really?

S: Already giving up?

Connie pursed her lips in defiance before place her hands on his, with a smack.

S: Ok...how about..10.

C: There something strange about this.

S:Can't do it? How about if you do these next few rounds...I'd do anything or get you anything within my power.

Connie 'hmmed' as thoughts ran through her head. She knew Steven would keep his promise easy, but there was something about this game. It was overly simple and yet it held Steven intrest so.

Steven is the best guy she know. Sweet and honest to a fault, but she knew he could be a trickster as well. If it had something to do with why he seemed preoccupied with her face..her mouth (yes, she noticed) then.... She felt her cheeks heat up and heartbeat sped up as she gave him a high ten, her head looking away from him..

S: Everything ok, Berry...we could stop if it too much--

C: You promise right, anything within your power?

S: I give you my word...anything that is within my power.

C: ok Biscuit, let's play.

S: Eager, ok..give me twenty.

C: twenty? ok no problem.

With that they clasped all twenty of their fingers together, and Connie size nines stood upon Steven size thirteens. They were so close to each other, nearly pressed against each other, absorbing the others scent; holding each other hand tightly as diamonds looked down at stars, brown gazed at black. The sounds of strings and percussion instruments giving a loving ambience. The two, red face and full of anticipation, chuckled.

S: so...21?

C: ...21.

Connie lowered her head to meet his, eyes closed and lips partly puckered With everything on the line, they met in a slow kiss...her lips...

to his ...

forehead.

S: wow..ok.

Connie eyes widen at what she done in shock ...she ruined their first true kiss..Before she could rip her hands from Steven..she heard him laughed, a bit mirthfully and a bit embarrassed. Eyes a bit misty, just like hers

S: Kind of off target there or....Maybe I read your attention wrong?

C: My attention!? You was the one who was all distracted by my mouth.

S: You leaned in though..unless you was intentionally aiming for my head.

C: I mean...I didn't mean aim for your head..but the way you were gazing at my lips...I shouldn't had persumed that you..

S:That I wanted to kiss you. You thought I wanted to kiss you?

Connie nodded and looked away, totally embarrassed and a bit heartbroken. It was kind of cruel of Steven to ask that.. against her better judgement she looked him and saw that he was blushing and smiling widely. befor muttering something.

C: What did you say?

S: Re-do .

C:Re-Do?

Steven nodded vigorously as he tightened his grip and looked determined. His face bright red before closing his eyes and pucking his lips the same way she had. Connie gulped before leaning in again. They messed up their first chance..They be damned if they messed up their second. Their lips met in a almost non existent feathery touch, before a voice ranged out,

Greg: Hey kids, You two still here?

S:Yes, come on up.

The two rushed to reposition themselves on the bed before Greg came up the stairs and opened the two year old door to Steven's bedroom.

S:Hey Dadio,

C:Hello greg, sir.

Greg:It's almost time for Connie to head home...Nice ambiance in here.

S: Yeah. umm..I can take her on Lion dad.

Greg: I sure you could but Doug texted me saying he'll be here in fifteen. He called both of you..but there was no answer.

Both: Oh.

C: Sorry we couldn't hear it. Music, story revisions and all that, thanks for the head up.

Greg just smirked in sly approval. a light chuckle radiated as he walked off, not before telling them that they should make the fifteen count and pointed slightly at their still interlocked hands.

The duo looked at each other with brand new eyes. Both tried to speak and ended up giggling instead. Steven couldn't help but linger on how soft her lips was..as soft as the clouds in pinks room..maybe softer.

Connie was more concerned with what this meant for them, how she swore she tasted ice cream on his lips, and the chances of them doing it again. Though before that..there was still a matter to clean out.

C: So..Is this a V for me?

S: What?

C: The game..it ended in a victory for me right.

Steven looked at her,blush still on her face and a smile that was only reserved for him...Signs that in that split second she knew and reciprocated his feelings.

S: hmm...Nope. that was an incomplete 21..a 20 1/8!

C: What, but we kissed..it was nice and true..though kind of short.

S: so you agree, you lost.

C: Outside interference..you can't penalize me for that...

S: I don't make the rules.

C:Fine..re-do.

Steven said nothing as he smiled at her. A re-do she wants a re-do she'll get. The two didn't even bother to get up from the bed opting sit next to each other. The music once again playing a melody for the occasion.

S: Third time..

C: Yeah....Hey...I like...love you. a lot. Sorry I never to--'

Connie never got to finish as Steven caught her her lips with his. Connie gasp at first before she eased into it gripping his hands and closing her eyes  as they kiss.. 

Their first kiss was amateurish, unpolished, and sloppy, It held depth, passion and years of love. It was a mixture of pecks and wet  tasting interlocks, of excited youth and imagined adulthood. It was everything they imagined and more. so much more.

When they finally broke, they only stared at each other, red face, gasping, sweaty heads pressed together as they continued to listened to the music and their own heartbeats, still in shock at what they done. it wasn’t until he pulled her into a hug, by the waist and down on the bed next to her that the fact that  they  successfully kissed hit them and the joy  erupted from them in the for of chuckles, giggles and hyperventilating, in Steven guess.

S:We did it !we kissed! ohh We kissed! I finally kissed you! Do that make us a couple now?!

C:Steven...

S:I mean I hope so..I mean..I love you..and you said you love me. So at least we know it’s mutual...

C: Stee~eeven.

S: But, that dosen't mean we have to be together together..not if you don't want to..because there should be mut---!!

Before he could say anything she place her index gently on his mouth and smiled deeper and fuller than before at his blush. She let him go soom after though.

C: My excitable Biscuit, before any of the relationship stuff .We need to adress something else.

S: Huh,What?

C: the terms of my victory.

[hearthandseyes]

Pixelmator Photo for iPad

This will take awhile to get to the point so if you’re interested, buckle in for a winding, drawn out reason about why I’m not switching to Pixelmator Photo as much as I want to.

I’m an avid Lightroom CC user. I have never used Photoshop, not because I don’t want to but because I’m too stupid.

In the past I was an Aperture user and it never clicked. The catalogue was too confusing to me. Again, stupid. When it was discontinued I switched to Lightroom and have done well with it since. Adobe later released Lightroom Mobile (now the cross-platform Lightroom CC) during the time I had adopted a heavy iPhone/iPad travel workflow and I grew up with the program. Lightroom was straightforward and essentially offers the simple tools that I used in the darkroom- dodging and burning, with digital exposure and color edits.  Plus a little more.

I have had a strange fascination with Pixelmator for years.  Many times since 2012 I’ve tried to use Pixelmator which is a layers based graphics editor. The price was right and they were an Apple only product that worked to make the most of the Apple hardware. They even released a mobile app with some of the core features.  But again it’s a layers based editor and if I couldn’t figure out Photoshop this wasn’t going to help me. I looked often for tutorials to learn the software but they weren’t available like they are for Adobe products.

When Pixelmator Pro for the Mac was being released last year I was fully ready to make an attempt at using it and abandoning Lightroom. 

Why would I leave Adobe? I don’t like that I’m boxed into one system. I pay 20 dollars a month for the photography Creative Cloud account with 2 TB of data. I have to be very careful with that catalogue as I go because 2TB isn’t a lot for a full and active catalogue over years, even with mindful archiving.  And I’m managing two different photography catalogues- Lightroom and Apple Photos.  Finally, the way you import photographs into Lightroom on the iPad or iPhone is plain silly, but that’s really on Apple and we’re not going to get into file management on iOS because that’s a dead horse for now (until some future iOS iteration).

But the big reason was: “minimalism”. 

Over 2018 I started doing a deep dive into my life again. A significant breakup, several moves, and a job change made me evaluate everything. I adopted minimalism around 2009 when I started paring down my belongings and moved into a small loft apartment. When I moved to Rhode Island in 2011 I sold almost everything I owned then put an add on Craigslist to come get the rest for free and people swooped in en masse. I kept things lightweight as possible but things creep back in. My digital files were a mess. Papers kept following me around the country. When I lived on the Rez it was like Little House On The Prairie and I bought enough supplies and things to fix anything and felt I needed a lot of comforts. “Things” piled up. Tools, paint, gardening tools, furniture, home gym equipment, entertainment. By late 2016 I was maintaining 3 addresses over 3 states with homes and ‘stuff’ in all of them, a lot of it duplicated. Then I had to pack up all of the places and put them into storage and nothing makes you realize how crazy your life is than rampant disorganization, poor sleep, and putting your hands on every single thing you own. I literally started having recurring dreams about boxes of papers.

While I was traveling I couldn’t manage my physical things but I could manage my finances and digital assets. I was shocked by how many apps and pieces of software I owned or had a subscription to. I made the spreadsheet that showed monthly recurring charges and a lot showed up and were pared down. And this drew my eye to the Adobe subscription. It has jumped up from 9.99 a month to 19.99. 240 dollars a year every year. I can afford it and I use it aggressively but did I need it at that price?

iOS has become my main platform for doing everything. The iPhone alone can do most things you need and when you need the luxury of a bigger screen go to an iPad. When I watch or read reviews of any iPad people talk about how it can’t replace a computer and it makes me nuts. What does anyone do on a computer besides browse the web, shop, message your friends, watch YouTube and Netflix, and check email, and write (in that order)? iOS is fine for 99.99 percent of people except working graphics and video professionals, engineers, architects, and  medical professionals (because medical software is the worst on earth and just can’t function on anything except a 12 year old Windows PC). I find working on an iPad is far more efficient than working on a Mac both digitally and physically. The ergonomics of touch with a Smart Keyboard are just better than keyboard and mouse (there is a reason the keyboard is so short- it’s so you can reach the screen easily). I edit photos with a pencil. I manipulate windows and screens like Minority Report. When I want to read something my ‘computer’ turns into a book/magazine/comic book/magical future tablet. I believe that my next Mac upgrade will likely be the last traditional computer I ever buy.

That aside over when I evaluated my tools, a lot of software like Word and Ulysesss, Byword, Simplenote, Evernote and OneNote, were abandoned for free, excellent software that came with my devices. Notes and Pages took over drafting, writing, and note collection. iCloud Drive replaced Dropbox, Music replaced Spotify. It kept everything neat, my data and privacy were secure and organized in one place, and I took the time to master the software. Where I had limped along on Excel for decades, I buckled down and did the full Lynda.com Numbers course and for the first time spreadsheets stopped being mysterious things nerds used to optimize their lives and instead became easily accessible tools that helped me solved real problems. A lot of this was also pushed by many of the privacy concerns arising in digital ecosystems (Facebook, Google, apps sending data out that users are unaware of, etc.).

But besides managing my day to day life and writing what do I use my tech for?

 Photography.

 Could I get rid of all of these photo editing apps? I adore shooting and editing on my iPhone and I seriously considered selling all of my cameras and becoming an iPhone only photographer. But different working opportunities continue to present themselves and so I kept using ‘real’ cameras and instead focused on addressing the software. Snapseed left. It’s a terrific app but I can do everything in Snapseed with Lightroom, but better. And I don’t trust Google anyway. All of the other silly one off apps disappeared too. They were niche cases and often all I needed was to dig into Lightroom to figure out how to replace them. But could I replace Lightroom with free Apple software?

Aperture was discontinued by Apple in 2015 (and it was definitely not free). The people who fully embraced it loved it, probably in the way people love Final Cut Pro. It was a different beast than their consumer product iPhoto which most people were familiar with and used without issue, mostly for collecting their images but also for doing basic editing.  Apple replaced iPhoto with Photos (minimalism) with the emphasis on the iCloud Photos library and cataloguing. But on MacOS they were sneaking some Aperture features in on later releases like curves. It seemed like they were beefing up the Photos app for greater things and these features seemed to be mirrored onto the iOS versions of the app. With the release of the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil it seemed like any week Apple would release some brushes but they didn’t. Instead you were stuck with very basic global edits (and of course stupid filters) and didn’t even have access to the MacOS features like HSL.

But you could open photos in other apps. Like Pixelmator for iOS. And... it didn’t work. It was a garbage dream and ultimately nothing was able to replace the features I used all the time in Lightroom CC, specifically: editing metadata, the gradient and radial filters, and dehaze. Add to that geometric perspective correction and the fact that on the Mac Lightroom CC was adding in Photoshop/Lightroom Classic features like panoramic merge and more.

When Pixelmator announced they were releasing a photography (vs graphic design) focused app, and that it was for the iPad I was thrilled. I signed up for email updates and trolled the web periodically for information. When it arrived (at the phenomenal price of 4.99) I had already preordered it. I downloaded it and got to work straight away. I love that it uses either Photos or Files for the catalogue (easier to manage and takes out a step used in Lightroom). And that’s it for the good. It uses Machine Learning. They want you to know that. They’ve pushed the hardware in the iPad. I believe it. But their big focus is on automagic edits and cropping, filter presets, and global edits. Honestly I can get that from Photos.app.

There are no brushes, no focal dodging and burning, no radial or gradient filters. It’s 2019, the iPad has this amazing Pencil, and neither Apple nor Pixelmator are taking advantage of it. If I cannot dodge or burn specific areas of a photograph, I am doing worse than I was in the chemical darkroom in 1997.

Photos.app needs to also beef up for me to use Pixelmator, specifically adding brushes and filters and one or the other needs to add the ability to batch edit photos.

In addition they need to add an iPhone app because I often edit only on my phone.  

 We’ll see what Pixelmator adds in the future.  I’m sure I’ll still be paying attention for some reason. 

Originally, about 6 months ago, this article was going to be about how I was going to switch from the yearly subscription of Adobe to Pixelmator but every time I tried to move my workflow over with serious photography I stuck with Lightroom CC because the tools are so strong.  Without those tools I’m not going to use another photo editor. And I know there are others like Affinity Photo. For some reason I’m not interested.  I just had this weird obsession with Pixelmator.

So that leaves me with what this article is about. I started deleting the original version of Pixelmator off of my iOS devices and Mac because I just don’t use it. Pixelmator became the thing to remove. It became an exercise of giving up the goat and not worrying so much about digital minimalism as using a tool that works and I that lets me be an artist.  When I’m working professionally I can’t imagine not using Lightroom. And I use Lightroom CC which is considered ‘light’ anyway (but that’s foolish and something I should address later if people want me to). They’ve also recently added the features I wanted like stitching panoramas so for me it’s feature complete. It’s just the duplication of catalogues, online space, and the monthly fee that drive me crazy.

I’ve been making attempts of various strength since 2012 to use versions of Pixelmator and I’m not sure why it has seemed so important to me. I don’t need to use an app that makes global edits to a photo when I need to brighten eyes or increase the contrast in select areas of landscapes. I just need to use Lightroom.

[t-baba]

Electron 6, a String#replace trick, and learning about scope in JS

#448 — August 2, 2019

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[shirlleycoyle]

The 2030 Last-Minute Christmas Gift Guide

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Want to get out and see some more of the world in 2031, but know there’s no way you’ll ever be able to afford international air travel again? Well, there’s still a lot of America to see and explore! It’s fair to say our great country has seen some challenging times over the last decade, including shifts in both our political and geographical landscapes, but as a nation we’ve stood up to and embraced the challenges—and what better way to celebrate this new era than going out and experiencing it yourself?

Want to take a low flying helicopter ride over the Texas Refinery District Toxic Exclusion Zone? Try urban scuba deep under what was once the Miami waterfront? Or maybe you want to take a leaf out of your favorite influencer’s book, and get your photo taken on the rim of the crater that was once the Space X test facility? The Unlimited Dream Company can make it happen, with its range of exclusive, customizable tourist trips. You’ll be given full safety training and orientation—including an entry level handgun course for trips in disputed states—and will be accompanied by medical staff*, Darklake certified security agents, and tour guides with unmatched local knowledge.

Prices are not cheap though, so this is definitely a gift idea for those of you firmly ranked as Solvent A-7 and above. Still, UDC also sells a full range of merchandise in its online store—from FEMA approved radiation-detecting temporary tattoos to "My sister visited the Baltimore Dirty Bomb Clean Up Zone and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirts. They make for perfect low cost stocking fillers.

*Medical expenses not included in package prices. Participants are expected to have their own health insurance.

Where’s Elon? – Mindfield Games Ltd $8.99 in the App Store/Google Play

Where did he go? Did he really make it to Mars? Is he hiding out on the dark side of the Moon? Has he really accepted Chinese citizenship? Or is he just chilling in his luxury bunker in New Zealand? Nobody knows for sure, but with this new mobile game from superstar designers Mindfield you can help track down America's greatest traitor! Based on the classic children’s book, Where’s Elon? challenges you to spot the world’s greatest entrepreneur-turned-environmental-criminal across a dozen beautifully illustrated, scrolling crowd scenes. When you see him point him out quick—and be rewarded with the satisfaction of watching a beautifully rendered drone strike! Fun for the whole family.

The InfoWars Flat Earth Atlas $25.99 from Amazon

Less an informative text and more an exquisite curio, the official InfoWars Flat Earth Atlas, 8th Edition is the perfect gift for that coffee table book enthusiast in your life. Learn about how everything you thought you knew about physics is a lie, and why nobody has ever been permitted to sail to The Edges, through a series of exquisitely painted and painstakingly annotated maps, charts, and illustrations. And with the addition, new to this edition, of QRcodes on every page that auto post content to Facebook with just a single scan, this is the perfect gift for that uncle that always sparks the most interesting family discussions. You might not be a believer, but can you ever really be sure? About anything? Take some time to shrug off the chains of reason and logic this holiday season and experience the buzz of free thinking—before they try and ration that too!

Marvel vs Star Wars VI – The Final Conflict $39.99 from Amazon/Disney on uBlu-Ray, streaming available only in Tier 1 Certified Access Zones

If the thought of Tony Stark wearing C3-PO’s face as a temporary face mask or the sight of The Hulk behind the controls of the Millennium Falcon doesn't get you excited, can you really even call yourself a movie fan anymore? This holiday sees the release of the final installment of the saga to end all sagas! For real this time! Will our heroes get over their personal differences in time to band together to save the galaxy from the cross dimensional threat of the Thanos-Palpatine Axis? Will Thor, now struck down as a mere mortal, pass his Padawan training and become a Jedi master worthy of the memory of Baby Yoda, tragically slain in the last movie? All these questions will be answered, plus a bunch that never will, in what is definitely, completely certainly, the last chapter in the series.

Plus as a bonus feature for Blu-Ray owners, make use of the exclusive Auteur Algorithms mode. Disney made a machine learning AI watch hours and hours of movies by classic directors whose IP they own—Kubrick, Kurosawa, Scorsese, DuVernay, and Hitchcock to name just a few—so that it can re-edit and re-frame the movie in their unique personal styles, in realtime. With every watch it will look unique! The long-awaited future of cinema is finally here.

Balenciaga Bug Out Bag $799, Nordstrom exclusive

If the last ten years have taught us anything, it’s that we all need to be ready to move out at just a minutes notice. We’ve all got—or should have—a bug out bag ready to go, and while being constantly prepared can cause considerable stress and anxiety, there’s no reason that you can’t look stylish! The Balenciaga Bug Out Bag might be expensive, but it’s guaranteed to make you stand out in any crowd, whether you’re trying to get out of the state or into one of the hastily designated public shelters. Packed full of goodies like San Pellegrino-branded water purification tablets and an exclusive Burberry designed insulation blanket, it’s got all the essentials you need to survive the next evacuation call while still looking tight. Got a keen teenage social justice warrior in the family? Then the special Pro Protest edition is perfect for them—with extras such as a Nike branded breathing mask (tear gas rated), an Anker mil-grade laser pointer, and a limited-edition facial recognition fooling make up kit from Sephora. Now you can send that adorable little protester out for the night knowing not only will they be safe but they’ll also be the envy of all their friends as they fight against the oil and tech companies, police brutality, the forced relocation of a local community, or whatever it is the kids get all worked up about these days.

FEMA gift vouchers $5 – $200, from Amazon and fema.gov

Still don’t know what to get that friend or loved one that’s been relocated to one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s temporary residential camps? Then let them pick how they want to treat themselves with a FEMA gift voucher. Not only is it redeemable against certain product lines on Amazon, it can be used in-camp to make their stay a little easier by paying for extra food and water rations, extended shower times, and even little luxuries such as chocolate, fruit juice, and soap. Know somebody staying in one of the Amazon or Walmart co-administered camps? Then get them one of the new Duvet Day passes for just $75, that gets them out of all work camp duties for a full 24 hours!

The 2030 Last-Minute Christmas Gift Guide syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[lindyhunt]

The Ultimate Guide to Google Docs

Everything Google touches seems to turn to gold.

Not only have they helped online businesses generate billions of dollars through their search engine, but they also have — and continue to — branch out and create other products.

One of these products is Google Docs, a free word-processor and alternative to Microsoft Word that allows anyone to easily create and edit their own shareable document.

This guide will teach you about some reasons why using Google Docs may be beneficial to you as well as some tips and tricks that will make you more efficient while using the product.

What Is Google Docs?

No software downloads. No payments. No specific browser or computer necessary. Is there really any product out there these days that is this simple to obtain and use?

The answer is yes.

Google Docs is a completely free, cross-platform (syncs documents across phones, tablets, and desktops) word processor that works both online and offline. All you need is a Google account, the same free account that you use for your G Suite or Gmail.

The cloud-based tool includes a clean layout and unique features for users, such as the ability to work, share, and collaborate from anywhere. The platform even automatically syncs and saves all of your work, so you don’t even have to worry about pressing “Save”.

With these features, it's clear why millions of users prefer Google Docs over other word processors.

Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word

But what about Microsoft Word? Word been around longer than Google Docs and remains exceptionally popular today. Millions of individual users and companies still pay big money to use Word. So why would you ditch Word for Google Docs?

Microsoft Word must be purchased as part of a Microsoft Office package which includes several products you might not even use, such as PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.

For example, the Home and Business packages run from $69.99 (for an individual user at home) up to $150 (for an individual user at work) for an annual membership. Google Docs, on the other hand, allows you to collaborate with any number of people, anywhere in the world, for free.

Another benefit of Google Docs is that all of your work is saved to the Cloud, which means you won't lose your 20-page report … even if your laptop croaks. (Whew!)

For a blogger like myself, I can’t imagine using anything but Google Docs every day. Unlike Word, my editors can hop in my document whenever it’s most convenient for them and leave suggestions or comments. I can also respond to these whenever I want — at home or on the move using the Google Docs app.

Now that we’ve covered some benefits of using Google Docs, let's go into more detail on how to use it.

Sharing and Collaborating with Google Docs

There are a plethora of tips and tricks that users can take advantage of while using Google Docs — whether working as an individual or with a team.

Google Docs allows multiple people to work, collaborate, and edit within a single document in real-time through any web browser. Here are a few ways to do this:

Sharing Your Google Doc

Individuals can share their document with as many people as they want, as well as edit their permissions to limit what they can do.

To get started sharing, click "File", followed by "Share."

There are multiple sharing options — the one you pick is totally your choice.

1. Create a Shareable Link

The simplest way to share a Google Docs page is to generate a shareable link. This allows anyone to click a unique URL and view your document.

After opening the "Sharing" box, hit the "Get Shareable Link" button in the top corner.

Then, select a sharing permission for your document.

After defining permissions, press "Copy link".

The URL will then be copied to your clipboard for you to send to anyone who wishes to view the document.

2. Sharing via Email Address

You also have the option to share your document with an email address. This will send an invite to that person’s inbox, and add the document to their Google account.

To do this, head back to the sharing box.

Enter the email address of the person you’d like to share your document with and select an option from the drop-down to edit their permissions.

If you add a note to this invite, it will be displayed in the email invitation.

3. Advanced Sharing Options

Head back to your sharing box and hit "Advanced".

Here, you can see all sharing settings — including who has access to your document, their permission settings, and the option to invite more people or remove others.

4. Make Your Document Editable by Anyone

Want to grant anyone permission to edit the contents of your document? Hit "File" and "Share", to get your shareable link.

In the drop-down menu displayed, press “Anyone with the link can edit”.

As this option clearly states, anyone with your unique URL will be able to make changes, edit, and even delete your document ... so be careful about who you’re sharing it with.

Using Shortcut Keys

There are a number of shortcut keys to help increase your productivity while working in Google Docs. Review the following chart to learn some of the most popular shortcuts.

For a complete list of Mac, PC, Android, iPhone, and iPad shortcut keys, check out this page.

Creating and Writing in Google Docs

Which Google Docs features will help you and your team create powerful documents, no matter your location? Here are some options for you to try:

Work Offline

A bonus to using Google Docs is that you’re able to edit, save, and create documents through your web browser even when you’re not connected to the Internet. This might come in handy if you need to get some work done while traveling. The changes you make are still saved and will sync when you go back online.

But, this isn’t an automatic feature. You’ll need to set-up offline connections in your account.

To do this, visit the Google Docs homepage and locate the menu button on the left-hand side.

Then press “Settings”.

A pop-up box will then be visible on your screen. To set up offline editing, toggle the "Offline" button to "On". (This should turn the button blue, rather than gray.)

Your browser will then adjust to offline editing and you’ll see the following icon when editing your document without Internet.

Use Voice Typing

Voice technology is a growing industry, and Google has been at the forefront of this trend. You can speed up your writing process by using voice typing in Google Docs.

To use the feature, begin by checking your device settings to confirm that your microphone works.

Then head to "Tools" and "Voice Typing". You’ll see a microphone icon.

Click it and start speaking. Google will convert your spoken words into text, which you’ll see appear on the page.

Use the Google Docs App

With the Google Docs app, users can continue to edit, share, collaborate in real-time, add images, and create content all while on-the-go.

The free app even works offline once you’ve turned on that setting — the same way you did on your laptop or desktop — and it automatically saves your work to the Cloud.

"Explore"

Have you ever been writing about a topic and stopped to think, "Wow, I could use a suggestion or two on how to improve my piece."

Google Docs has you covered.

By clicking the "Explore" button — found by clicking "Tools" then "Explore" — Google Docs will scan the content you provide and suggest information that you could add to your piece.

These suggestions might include details you may have forgotten, images to enhance your piece, or possible research that you could include to back your points and claims.

Formatting Your Document

Make a Google Docs page that works for you and the content you’re creating. Whether it's the page orientation, images, or page numbers, these tips will help you format your document any way you want.

How to Change Margins

If you’re looking to make the most of the blank space in your document or format your document for printing, you might need to change the margins.

Before doing this, you'll need to make sure the ruler is visible above your document.

Simply head to "View" and press "Show Ruler".

You should see a ruler below the formatting bar in your document.

Then, to change the margins of your page, locate the small blue button on the left-hand side of the ruler and slide the button to alter your left margin.

To change your right margin in Google Docs, repeat this process using the blue button on the right side of your ruler.

If you need strict margins in your document, try using the “Page Setup” tool.

To do this, hit "File" then "Page Setup".

You’ll then see the following pop-up box where you can change the margins.

If you need the same margins in every document you create, save time and hit the "Set as Default" button. This will automatically copy your margin set-up to all new documents.

How to Change Page Orientation to Landscape

Looking to change the orientation of your document? Head to "File" and select "Page Setup". 

Then, select the "Landscape" option under "Orientation" and press "OK" to make your changes.

If you want all of your documents to have the same orientation, press "Set as Default".

How to Add a Text Box

Text boxes are a great option if you’re looking to add an extra visual element to your document. They allow you to position additional text anywhere on your page without altering the format of your existing document.

In Google Docs, text boxes are classified as drawings. You can insert one by clicking "Insert" and "Drawing".

This will open the "Drawing" feature. Then press "Text Box".

Drag your cursor into the drawing space to create a box big (or small) enough for your requirements

Once your box has been created, it’s time to enter your text.

You can change the font, color, and alignment of the text in your box by using the navigation bar in the pop-up window.

Happy with your text box? Hit "Save & Close" to insert the “drawing” in your document.

From here, treat your text box as an image. Select the image to change the alignment or move the box around your document for ideal placement.

How to Add Page Numbers

Page numbers make your document easy to navigate and allow for better organization when printed — you'll avoid asking yourself, “Does this page go here … or there?”

Add page numbers to your document by clicking "Insert", "Header", and "Page Number". Then choose the option of your choice.

How to Create a Hanging Indent

Hanging indents are indents that automatically change the margin of a paragraph without interrupting the format used elsewhere on your page. Here’s an example: 

To add a hanging indent in Google Docs, make sure your ruler is visible by pressing "View" and "Show Ruler".

Then, head back to your main document and highlight the text you want to format.

Add a hanging indent by locating the ruler above your document and sliding the blue arrows to your specification.

Slide the arrow on the left side to alter the left indent, and the arrow on the right side to change the right indent.

How to Insert an Image

To add an image to your document, simply put your cursor wherever you want to insert the image.

Scroll up to the top of the page and click "Insert" and "Image".

Choose the image location — there are multiple options that include your computer, the web, Google Drive, or by URL.

Select your image, click "Open", and voila! Your image should appear.

For more on this process, check out this page.

How to Create a Table of Contents

If you’re writing a presentation or whitepaper, a table of contents is a great way to display each section you’re creating and the page number that it can be found on.

You can insert a table of contents in your Google Doc by ensuring all subheadings are formatted with a "heading tag". To do this, highlight your subheading and press the appropriate tag in your formatting bar.

As a general rule of thumb, the "Heading 1" tag should be your main title. "Heading 2" tags should be subheadings, and "Heading 3" tags should be sections below a subheading.

Now you're ready to create a table of contents. Hold your cursor where you’d like to insert it and head to the "Insert" tab. Click "Table of contents" and choose an option based on your preference.

Editing Your Document

Tracking changes, leaving your team members and co-workers comments, running spell check, and other important editing features are all available in Google Docs to ensure your work reaches full potential.

How to Track Changes

If you’re working with another person on your document, you can ask them to "Track Changes". This will show you who made the edits, when they made those edits, and what the text was prior to their edits.

You can track changes in Google Docs by changing "Editing" to "Suggesting" in the top right-hand corner of the page.

Then, when someone edits your document, any changes will show up in a different color, with a box on the right-hand side to show their name, photo, and editing details. 

You can then browse the tracked changes and accept or reject them as necessary.

How to Add Comments

With Google Docs, you and your team can leave comments in any document for each other to view. These are often used as reminders to come back to a specific section, leave more detailed revision ideas, or add URLs to other sites and images for reference.

To do this highlight the word, sentence, or paragraph you want to comment on and click the "Add Comment" button (the text box with the plus sign inside).

You can then write a comment — or paste a URL — in the comment box. Click "Comment" when you are ready to post your box.

To edit the information in the box, click the three dots on the right and select “Edit”. You can also thread comments beneath the original comment by typing in the “Reply” box.

To get rid of a comment box you can either “delete” it or “resolve” the comment. Click the three dots on the right and select “Delete” to delete the box. Click "Resolve" in the top right of the box when the issue has been resolved and you no longer need the box.

If you are looking for more in-depth information on adding and resolving comments in Google Docs, look at this page.

How to Find Word Count

Have you ever struggled while writing a paper, report, or blog post because of a required word count that you were trying to reach?

Although reaching a required word count may not always be easy, Google Docs makes the count itself simple.

Once you’re in your document, find "Tools" in the navigation bar. Then, select "Word Count".

Google will then display the total number of words (along with the total number of pages, characters, and characters excluding spaces).  

To count the words within a specific sentence, paragraph, or page, highlight the text you want to include and follow the same steps above.

How to Run a Spell Check

It’s not uncommon even for professional writers to make an occasional spelling mistake. Google Docs can help all writers with this dilemma.

Run a spell check to locate and correct any errors you may have missed. Think of it as your personal proofreader or editor.

To run a spell check in Google Docs, press the "Tools" button in your navigation bar and hit “Spelling”. Then select the "Spell check" option.

Google Docs will then scan your entire document for misspelled words and grammatical errors.You’ll be given the choice to accept or ignore Google’s suggestion.

If you find that you’re frequently using a word that Google doesn’t recognize, you can add it to your dictionary. This will prevent Google Docs from highlighting the word in future spell checks.

How to Add a Strikethrough

In Google Docs you can add a <style="text-decoration: line-through;"="">strikethrough by highlighting the text you want to strike, clicking the “Format" button in the navigation bar, “Text”, and selecting "Strikethrough".

Use Google Docs Add-Ons

You can add third-party tools, or add-ons, to your documents. These add-ons contain unique features to help you improve your work in various ways.

You can find these add-ons by locating the "Add-Ons" tab in your navigation bar and clicking "Get add-ons".

Here are a few popular add-ons you may find helpful:

Google Keep

Writing a document that needs supporting data? Install this add-on to your browser to collect notes, case studies, and references you’re planning to cite. Then, use the add-on to pull them in as needed. You can also edit the notes you’ve saved with Google Keep.

Extensis Fonts

Consistent branding is important, but that can be tricky when you’re using unique fonts. The Extensis Fonts add-on imports thousands of fonts from the Google Fonts library into your document to enhance your piece’s overall aesthetic.

HelloSign

Writing a contract, agreement, or any other paperwork that requires a signature? This Google Docs add-on will help you collect electronic signatures in an easy and secure way.

Translate

Need a translator? Install this add-on to easily translate your content into another language.

Lucidchart

This add-on allows you to add unique diagrams to your document that are easy to design and edit. It’s perfect for anyone working with data or looking for a fun way to display information.

Language Tool

Proofreading made easy in over 20 languages. You won't have to wonder about your spelling or grammar anymore. The Language Tool add-on catches errors and mistakes no matter the language.

EasyBib

EasyBib is an automatic bibliography generator with over 7,000+ style options, including MLA, APA, and, Harvard-style.

Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Forms in Google Docs

With Google Docs, it's easy to integrate with other useful tools such as Google Sheets and Google Forms. If you create a spreadsheet or chart in Google Sheets, you can insert that information directly into Google Docs.

With Google Forms, you can create surveys that are automatically saved to your Google Drive for easy access and review from Google Docs.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a great option for anyone who needs to build any type of chart, list, plan, or spreadsheet. It is a spreadsheet generator — similar to Excel — and it's free.

Once you’ve opened Google Sheets and created your chart, you can easily insert it into your document.

Do this by heading up to the toolbar, clicking "Insert", "Chart", and "From Sheets". You should be able to view and select the chart you want to add to your document.

Google Forms

Google Forms is a great way to collect information and survey responses. Just go to the Google Forms site and begin creating your form or survey in a matter of seconds.

You and your team can collaborate and select a template from Google’s gallery — or create a unique template from scratch to style it to your taste.

Google Forms is also free to use and can integrate with software like Asana and HubSpot.

Additionally, all of your Google Forms documents and responses are automatically saved to your Google Drive so you can easily access them while in your Google Docs page.

To do this, click on the "Apps" icon when you open Google Docs. Scroll down to "Forms" to find the form or survey you want to open.

One last feature to note is that the people responding to your form or survey can do so on any type of device, making Google Forms a convenient option for everyone.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’re now a Google Docs pro. Whether you’re a marketer or CEO, these tips will allow you to take advantage of Google’s software and create incredible documents of any kind, no matter your professional background.

Google Docs gives you the ability to share your work with as many people as you want, whenever you want, making it a great tool for collaborative teams. It also keeps your life simple by automatically saving any changes to your document to the Cloud … meaning no more stress about losing your work. Lastly, you can work on your documents from anywhere — whether or not you have Internet.

With all of these features, you can see why so many people have jumped on the Google Docs bandwagon. Plus, it’s free! Why not give it a try?

[kiyote23]

Evernote - Oh, How I Want to Love You

I’ve been using Evernote for years now. At one point, I was all in on it, using it for almost everything I could think of. Any project I was working on had an Evernote notebook. And once I got my iPad, my use really exploded, as suddenly I had a notebook that automatically synced between my desktop and my tablet. I have the Evernote Moleskine notebook, and at one point, the Evernote Adonit stylus.

But Evernote has it’s problems, and eventually, I started looking elsewhere for my note needs. It really started when Apple Notes matured beyond a weird add-on to Mail.app. After a while of playing with it, I switched to using it full-time. And then Bear came along, and I tried just using Bear. And now things have swung full-circle, and I’m back to using good old Evernote. Evernote has some tricks that the others just haven’t learned yet.

Evernote is one place to stash everything. Any piece of information that I think I might want to look at later, I send it to Evernote. Little bits of information from work, like how to handle a certain problem, get chucked into a work folder. I’ve clipped a ton of articles about different games that I’m playing, tips and tricks, and tossed those into Evernote. And with a robust search feature, it’s pretty easy to get things back out.

And it’s really easy to get things into it. There’s a Safari extension on macOS, and Chrome extension, though I’ve had trouble with both of them hanging and locking up, and I’m not sure why. There’s a share sheet extension in iOS, and the feature that I love, an email address that I can forward emails to that causes them to get added to Evernote. This was great when I was getting a lot of different correspondence from different teachers and administrators regarding my sons school—I could send them to Evernote and be sure I could reference them at any point, even during a meeting.

Evernote also automatically OCRs any image that it gets handed. I’ve been doing a lot of handwritten notes on my iPad using GoodNotes, and I can toss those into Evernote as images, yet still be able to search my own handwriting because of the built in OCR. I routinely take pictures of different signs and notices I see, knowing that I can send them into Evernote and be able to search for them later.

Evernote has a pretty decent tagging system, allowing you to put any tag you want on any note. You can then filter your view to just see notes with certain tags, allowing you to create some pretty creative perspectives. I was just reading about someone who uses tags of dates to create a custom calendar within Evernote:

He organizes Evernote differently than some of the other ECCs, and his ingenious system creates a running agenda for him. “I organize by year, month, date, and time,” he said. “If I sort this way, then I don’t have to do anything to set my schedule for the day. I just look at Evernote, and it’s already there. There was a point when I stopped using calendars altogether. Just let Evernote tags automatically generate a calendar for you.” — 7 Tips From Experts: Watch Business Productivity Soar in Evernote

You can also organize notes into notebooks, and you can even group the notebooks into stacks, to really compartmentalize things. You can make the notebooks private, or you can make them public, allowing you to share their contents with other people. My wife and I share a notebook for our son’s school correspondence, so we can both access the information easily.

You can add a reminder to a note, allowing you to use Evernote as a task manager as well. You could use notebooks as projects, and tags as contexts, and create a useable GTD system. The reminder system is pretty basic, allowing you to set a date and a time, but there’s no allowance for creating recurring, repeating events.

There’s a built in chat system in Evernote. Like the reminder system, it’s a little rudimentary and not very robust. Like a lot of things in Evernote, it feels a little like a cool idea tacked on at some point without anyone following through to make it an integrated part of the Evernote process. This really sums up the Evernote problem: a lot of good ideas, some well implemented, and others not so.

You can share notes with other people, but they have to create a free Evernote account to see the note that you shared. There’s no option to share outside of Evernote, but the free account is pretty simple to set up. The sharing feature is nice if you’re working on a team alts using Evernote, or if you just need to work with one other person. The ability to let other people add to a notebook or edit a note is pretty cool, and might be one of the most under-leveraged functions within Evernote.

Evernote is robustly cross-platform, with clients available on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. There’s also a pretty good web interface, so you can get to Evernote even if you’re not at any one of your many devices. I played with Evernote’s cross-platform capabilities a lot when I was trying to figure out a way to work with Android devices. Evernote was able to easily sync between two devices, and gave me a viable way to write on one device and be able to pick it up on another.

Evernote is a cloud-based system, so putting your notes on a new device is as easy as installing the client and signing in. Changes made on one device sync onto another, and everything is accessible through a web interface. Having your notes in the cloud means that they’re always backed up, always accessible.

It all sounds good, but even as I’m writing about its good points, I’m reminded of the problems. Evernote uses an RTF system to provide rich text notes on the screen. Even weirder, this RTF system is HTML-based, so it’s prone to same problems of formatting that a lot of rich HTML editors run into—problems with bulleting and nesting lists; spacing issues; spaces between paragraphs. If you don’t care about these things, then writing in Evernote can be fine, if sometimes a little weird.

Sometimes there are syncing issues. For a while, the version of Evernote on my iPhone was behind all my other devices. It would hang while syncing, and then just give up. I’ve had both the desktop and the iPad give me errors with syncing as well. Eventually with my iPhone I just deleted the whole app and reinstalled, and it started syncing up again just fine. The syncing issues aren’t major, but they do detract from what feels like it wants to be a seamless experience.

And I don’t know if it’s related to the syncing issues or not, but I’ve had image issues as well. One set of hand-written notes that I imported wouldn’t display on my iPad. There were just empty blank frames. When I opened the note on my iPhone, the images were there. Even weirder, when I did a text search on my iPad, it highlighted the words on the missing images, so something was there.

A common complaint about Evernote is the cost. You can have a free account, but you’re limited in how much you can store, and maybe even what you can do. You’ll have to set up a yearly subscription to get more space and features, and there are different tiers. There was a lot of backlash when the subscription was implemented, and more when the prices were raised. I’m actually fine with the cost, because I use the app and the service, and I’d rather they focus on using the app to make money instead of selling notebooks, pens, or even socks.

Like I said, the main problem I have with Evernote is that it’s trying to do too many things, and as a result, it’s not doing some of them very well. The work chat feature is a little silly, particularly since so many people use the app on devices that already have communications apps on them, apps people use. I’d rather have an easier way to share a note over something like Slack than this rather transparent effort to get people to use Evernote.

And the HTML-based RTF WYSIWYG editor really shows Evernote’s age. Six or seven years ago, that was the easy portable way to do RTF. Now there’s Markdown, and there are even people who prefer to write and work in plain text, and it would be nice if there was an option to use those. I’d love it if when I imported something that had Markdown if the RTF editor would recognize it.

But for all of it’s flaws, I came back to Evernote. I tried Apple Notes, but found that there were a few features I really relied on in Evernote that weren’t in Apple Notes. And I tried Bear, mostly to use the Markdown support, and while Bear is nice, it’s not as powerful as Evernote.

Like I said, I use Evernote to collect things: Recipes; articles; pdf manuals for household appliances. These are things that you could put in Bear or Apple Notes, but they’re harder to get out. Evernote’s OCR and capturing and importing the text of a web page really make it a lot easier to search for what you’re looking for.

I’m also using Evernote as a, well, notebook. I’ve been taking notes of different things that I’ve read over the past couple of years, and I’m collecting them in Evernote. It’s a habit left over from years of being an English major, to collect a quote that really sums up a work, or something that’s really interesting. I can pull stuff from the web, from iBooks or Kindle, even from Pocket, and put it in my notebook. I have no idea what I’m ever going to do with them, but at least they’re there.

Ironically, the thing that I really want to use Evernote for, the thing that it seems to really want me to use it for, is project management. I’ve created notebooks for projects, collected materials, set reminders. You can even, pretty easily, create a table of contents note for a notebook, that helps you organize things. I guess what it would really function effectively as would be a project organizer, a project binder. That’s something I’m going to keep working at, I guess.

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