The iOS Shortcuts app is one of Apple’s best kept secrets. It might seem a little intimating, but with practice, Shortcuts will open up a whole new way for you to use and interact with your iPhone or iPad. This app expands the functionality of your device so that you can do things that you never thought possible, and it will save you time on repetitive tasks. Best of all, you don’t need to be a programmer or have any technical knowledge in order to get started using them today.
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.
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The Vostok Amphibia watches are a range of classic dive watches that were first produced in the USSR in 1967. Their simplicity and reliability meant that they quickly became a stalwart choice for the Russian military, with some even venturing into space and back again during the 1970s. This particular Vostok, (reference number 420B35), is a special edition model that has a number of noteworthy upgrades over the standard Amphibia watches. It is available with a blue or a black dial and all of them retail for less than $150 USD.
You won’t be short on reading material if you search the web for the world’s best screencasting tips. There are dozens of listicles with all the advice you need to become a screencasting pro. Personally, I don’t see the need to add to them with yet another top ten list. Instead, I am going to spend some time talking about just one tip. It’s the one thing that improved my screencasts more than anything else, and it can improve yours too.
Continue reading The Only Screencasting Tip You Really Need
If you have an iPhone or an iPad then the chances are high that at some point in time, you have wished for the ability to set default apps. It’s easy to do on an Android device, but it always seemed like a glaring omission on iOS, and it never seemed to be much of a priority for Apple. The release of iOS 14 changed that because you can now set your default email client and web browser. This means Chrome, Firefox, or DuckDuckGo could be your default browser, while Gmail, Outlook, or Spark Mail could be your default email client. If you don’t want to use Safari or Mail, you don’t have to.
On Tuesday, Apple unveiled two new iPads. The eighth-generation iPad, and the fourth-generation iPad Air, replace existing models in the lineup and are undoubtedly important models for Apple. The $329 base model, is Apple’s best-selling iPad and a popular choice for schools, while the iPad Air is a tempting stepping stone for those who want more for their money without splurging on an iPad Pro. The only question that remains then, is whether or not these new models are a big enough upgrade to warrant any real attention. Let’s find out.
Continue reading New: The 8th Generation iPad and 2020 iPad Air
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.
Continue reading Using Guides in Google Slides to Align Content Like a Pro!
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.
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When Apple released iOS 13.4, it included the ability to use a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad with your iPad. At first, it seems strange to use a mouse with an iPad, but you will be surprised at how quickly you get used to using one, especially if your main device is a laptop or desktop computer. It’s easy to get started, but the nuances of customizing it to meet your needs are hidden a little deeper than you might expect. In this post I will show you how to connect a mouse to your iPad and give you some options to customize it to work the way you want. Here’s what you need to know.
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At WWDC this year, Apple unveiled its annual slew of software updates for iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and tvOS. However, the update for the Mac may well be one of the biggest changes in recent memory. MacOS 11, or Big Sur as it was dubbed, could very well change how future Macs are defined. It has big implications for schools, families and everyone else who is using Apple devices as part of their daily routine. Here’s why.
Continue reading Thoughts on MacOS 11: Big Sur, Big Changes