Google Archives - Jonathan Wylie

How to Use Tab Groups in Google Chrome

macbook and mouse on a table next to a white chair

The problem with tabs is that they are always just a click away. It’s simply too easy to open a new tab, regardless of how many you already have open. I mean, why not open a new tab? You probably think you are being extra productive with all these tabs, but before you know it, you are drowning in tabs. You find it hard to identify one tab from another because you have so many open that you can no longer read the tab titles and are just left with a whole row of favicons. That’s not much use to anyone, but help is at hand.

Continue Reading ->

3 Alternatives to Google Chrome

Google Chrome may well be the browser of choice for the majority of internet users, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t without its problems. Privacy concerns and performance issues are most often at the top of that list. Google will happily collect your personal information to sell you personalized ads, and it does it with a browser that is known for being a resource hog. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get the same Chrome experience from Chromium-based browsers like Brave, Edge, or Vivaldi. They give you better battery life and more control over your privacy without sacrificing the Chrome features you love.

Continue Reading ->

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 (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.

Organize Google Drive Like a Pro!

A woman typing on a latop. Next to the laptop is a book, a notebook and a variety of highlighters.

It’s time to organize your Google Drive. You’ve been putting it off for months and things have got way out of hand. It’s getting harder to find the files you need with the search bar, and the mess you created is seriously starting to annoy you. If this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place. This step-by-step guide is designed to get you back on track and bring order to the chaos. Let’s get started.

Continue Reading ->

Loom for Education: Free for Schools

Loom for Education is a free premium tool for teachers and students at K-12 schools, universities, or educational institutions. It can be used for screencasting or video messaging and is an increasingly popular alternative to Screencastify or Screencast-o-matic. Loom is available as a desktop app, Chrome extension, and a mobile app for iPhone and iPad. Here’s why you might want to take a look at this great free screencasting tool.

Using Guides in Google Slides to Align Content Like a Pro!

A cactus and a tape measure next to it. Text reads, how to use guides for perfect alignment in google slide decks.

Personally, I find it hard to work on the content for a slide deck if I don’t start with an idea for what the design of my slides will look like, and I can’t settle on a good design for my slide deck until the OCD part of my brain accepts that everything is neatly arranged and lined up exactly the way it should be. This is where guides come in. This handy tool lets you align text, shapes, images and more so that you never need to worry about whether your picture to be ten pixels further to the left. Now, I know what you’re thinking. I have a problem. You’re absolutely right, I freely admit it, but here’s how I solved it. I use guides in Google Slides.

New Updates for Google Classroom and Meet!

A laptop, phone and mouse sitting on a desk. A pair of glasses are on the laptop. Text reads, Big updates from Google for Classroom and Meet.

Updates for Google products are not an uncommon experience. In fact, people like myself are often having to update presentations and handouts to reflect the changes that Google have made to their various apps. However, the pandemic that we are all living in right now has adjusted everyone’s priorities, and edtech providers are no different. In this post, I have rounded up the best new features that Google has in the pipelines for Classroom and Meet.

5 New Updates for Google Meet

There is something reassuring about using a product where all the company resources are dedicated to making that one thing better. Take, for instance, Zoom. You can get video conferencing options from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and others, but as big as these companies are, video calls are not their sole purpose, so they only dedicate a limited number of resources towards maintaining and improving that service. Recently, Google was able to offer a number of updates for Meet to help make it more competitive with the likes of Zoom. Here are five new features for Google Meet that you can expect to see soon.

Jamboard: Google’s Best Kept Secret!

A long table with five chairs. Text on the wall above the chairs reads, Jamboard: Google's Online Collaborative Whiteboard.

In October, 2016, Google unveiled their vision for the future of interactive whiteboards. They called it the Jamboard, and it began shipping to customers in May of the following year. The Jamboard has a 55″ 4K touchscreen display that includes WiFi connectivity, an HD camera, microphone and speakers. The $5000 price tag puts it out of reach for many people, but the software that powers it is free for anyone to use, whether they have a physical Jamboard or not.