Jonathan Wylie

It’s Time to Convert Your Old Google Sites

A calendar sitting on a shelf displaying the month of September

In November, 2016, Google launched a brand new version of Google Sites. It featured a simple drag and drop interface and responsive designs that were better suited for the modern web. Today, almost five years later, some of those classic Google Sites still exist. They have still to be converted to the “new” versions of Google Sites, and sometimes with good reason. If you find yourself in that boat, your time is almost up. Google has extended the deadline more than once, but when September 1, 2021 rolls around, your classic Google Site will cease to exist. Here’s what you need to know.

How to Use a Clipboard Manager

A clipboard manager is a very handy utility to know about. It solves a problem that you probably didn’t know you had, but it also has the potential to fundamentally change the way you use your computer. Sounds important, right? Well, if you like to copy and paste text, it very well could be. By default, when you right-click and select the Copy command on your computer, it only remembers the last thing that you copied. If you copy something else, it overwrites your previous clipping. This is the problem that a clipboard manager solves. It remembers everything you copy and stores it all on a clipboard for when you need it. Here’s how it works.

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Your Tabs Are Not Your To Do List

nine post-it notes stuck to a fridge door arranged in a 3 by 3 grid

We all have our pet peeves. Things that we wish were different, but things that are unlikely to change any time soon. Towards the top of my list are tabs, or more specifically, those who use tabs as a to do list. Don’t get me wrong, I like tabs as much as the next person. I will often have 8-10 tabs open at one time as I navigate my way between multiple sites for the projects I am working on. However, my tabs are not my to-do list. They might be related to things I need to get done, but I close all my open tabs at the end of the day, and you can too. Here’s how.

Why I Started Wearing an Apple Watch…Again

An Apple Watch sitting on a table surface. The screen is on showing the app launcher.

About 18 months ago, I wrote a blog post called, Why I Stopped Wearing an Apple Watch. 18 months later, the Apple Watch has returned to my wrist. Why? I enjoyed wearing mechanical watches. I really did. I bought, (and sold), several different models as I explored the types of watches that I thought I might like to wear. I read blog posts, watched YouTube videos and joined online watch communities to learn as much as I could. However, I ultimately decided that the best watch for me is the Apple Watch. Ironic, right? Here’s why I went full circle and returned to the fold.

How to Use AirPlay Without an Apple TV

When iPads and MacBooks started to work their way into classrooms, so did the Apple TV. Why? It was an easy way for teachers to project their device wirelessly to a projector using AirPlay. The Apple TV could sit, unnoticed, on top of an LCD projector and remain idle until it was needed. The only problem, was the cost. At $149 for an Apple TV HD, it was not an insignificant outlay, particularly if you were buying 50 or more for all the classrooms in your school. However, an Apple TV isn’t the only way to use AirPlay in your classroom. You can use a Roku instead.

How to Edit Live Photos to Make Videos, GIFs & More!

Live Photos are a great way to add life to moments of joy that you capture with your iPhone or iPad camera. When a photo isn’t enough, but a video is overkill, the Live Photo is exactly what you need. They are enabled by default on all iOS devices, but they are easy to turn off by mistake. In this guide we will look at how to enable, edit and convert live photos so that you can take full advantage of this fun file format!

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How (and Why) to Use OBS.Ninja On Your Next Zoom or Meet Video Call

Laptop on a desk next to an iPad. There is a Zoom call running on the laptop screen. — Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

I had been doing some research recently around the idea of using an iPad as a document camera on a Zoom or Google Meet call. It can be a great option for showing books, manipulatives, worksheets, or other learning materials during a video call with students. Zoom has built-in functionality to help facilitate that process. Google Meet does not, but you can make it work if you join the call for a second time on your iPad. However, if you want an easy way to show a mobile device on Zoom or Google Meet call, you should take a look at OBS.Ninja.

How to Use mmhmm to Engage Students in Online Learning

A blue fence with a yellow desktop computer spray painted onto the fence. The computer has the words Stay Connected displayed on the monitor. — *Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash*

The global pandemic of 2020 forced many classrooms into online or hybrid learning environments. For educators that had to teach like this, it was not familiar territory. They had to adapt quickly and learn new ways to engage and motivate students who were not physically present any more. Technology helped teachers navigate many of these scenarios, and it continues to have a profound effect. That’s why apps like mmhmm are quickly becoming a popular addition to a teacher’s toolkit. Here’s why.

5 Ways to Show the Battery Percentage on Your iPhone

A hand holding a blue iPhone. The back of the phone is facing the viewer.

Recently, when I upgraded my iPhone to a newer model, I noticed that the battery percentage was gone. This was a little unsettling. I love seeing the battery percentage on my iPhone. Without it, the small, white battery icon is just not precise enough, and it rarely serves to give an accurate representation of how much longer my iPhone will last. However, I soon learned that the battery percentage was not gone, it just moved, and in the latest version of iOS there are multiple ways for you to show your iPhone battery percentage. Here are five of my favorites.

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New Zoom Backgrounds from Canva

Create Customizable Zoom Backgrounds for Canva.

Have you seen the new Zoom backgrounds in Canva? These customizable templates can be a great way to add some visual prompts in a remote learning environment, but they can also be a simple way to inject some fun into an online classroom. In this post I will show you where to get them, how to add them to Zoom, and an easy way to combine multiple backgrounds so that you can quickly change between them when you need to. Here’s what you need to know!