Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

Monday Magic - Free Media Player

Media players seem to be a dime a dozen on the internet. Maybe that's because what 1 user loves, another hates.

Here's another one for your consideration that plays video files and also audio files for your favorite music and podcasts.

VLC Media Player is an open source media player that's simple, fast, and powerful. 

More importantly it plays everything but Blu-ray movies. If you're looking for something that will play videos, audio files, Webcams, Devices and Streams, this may be it.

VLC Media Player plays most codecs with no codec packs needed: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, MP3, and it runs on all platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Unix, iOS, and Android. You can also customize the look of it if that's important to you.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This open source media player is completely free and contains no spyware, ads, or user tracking. Give it a try. If you love it, come back and leave a comment about it.


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Friday Facts - 5 Things That Make Me Crazy

It's Friday, and I've had a frustrating week. Rather than scream or pound my desk until my hands hurt, I thought I'd vent here.

In no particular order or subject matter....

5 THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRAZY

1. People who go door to door to ask you to vote for their candidates. I hate this. At this time of the year, they're worse than the ____________ who want to talk to you about your soul's salvation. (I didn't fill in the blank because there are more than 1 religious groups that do this.)

2. Bananas that are perfectly yellow and nice when you buy them. Get them home and brown spots magically appear. You better eat them fast because 3 days later they're destined for the compost pile.

3. WiFi signal from AT&T that never delivers the upload and download speed advertized. I would change providers in an instant if there were any better ones, but I haven't found any. They all seem to have their problems.

4. While we're on the subject of AT&T and other similar companies, I hate it when you've been a loyal, long-term customer, but they never honor that with reduced rates or anything like that. They offer new subscribers rock-bottom prices for the first year, but never do anything but increase the fees for long-term customers. 

5. AI. I hate the intrusion of AI into every website I frequently use. It's everywhere, and it's as annoying as hell. Maybe it's great for someone who doesn't know how to navigate the internet and use various websites, but for me, it sucks!!! It takes me twice as long to do anything because of constantly having to say NO to the AI wanting to help. They're also a prime reason everyone's computer is running slower than molasses in a Minnesota winter.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I had to stop with number 5 because I could go on and on about all the reasons I hate AI bots. I'm going to get my Main Man to make me a cappucciono so I can calm down. If youhave any pet hates, feel free to vent in a Comment.


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7 Ways to Build Your Social Media Audience

I never thought about this before!
Building an audience for Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. is about the same as building one for a Blog.

Any social media activity from Blogging to TikTok should be fun. If it's not fun, change something in your approach.

Also, your audience should grow each month. If it's not, then it's time to shake things up a bit.

I haven't talked much about blogging lately. I thought BLOG OPS, the book I wrote and published about the subject, said everything. (The book is in KU or sells for $3.99.)

But I realized that what I said about blog audiences also applies to the other social media platforms too.

For instance, try this which was originally written about blogging, but which can be adapted to virtually any social media.

7 Ways to Build Your Social Media Audience

1. Post often to the social media platform you've chosen as yours.

2. Comment on other accounts in the same platform. Your name/link is there for anyone to click and learn about you and your social media account.

3. Join a group account like RomanceGems...Where Authors and Readers Meet, the facebook group to which I belong. 

The burden of posting every single day is removed since there are many in the group with a date assigned to each. You get exposure and a chance to build an audience probably larger than you can do individually.

4. Always interact with your social media visitors. If in a group blog, be sure to support the other authors, Like and Share their posts, and comment on their posts as well as the visitors who leave comments.

5. Change your banner image at least every 3 months. That will keep your Facebook, etc. page looking fresh.

6. Try to engage your audience by asking questions, offering prizes occasionally for specific actions, and always use a clear call to action.

7. Be yourself and share from the heart.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Do you have any tips you'd like to share about how you built your audience? If so, please leave a comment. 

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.


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Be Wary of Touchy Feely AI People

I watched an interesting video today that explains why there are so many "old people" videos on YouTube.

The creator of the video said up front that she was posting it to illustrate not only how easy it is to create videos but also to put you on notice not to believe what you see.

The Creepy Truth About AI and "Old People" is the video I'm talking about. I must say I didn't realize it was that easy to create an attractive video in a couple of minutes.

YouTube is supposed to flag videos that are AI-created, but there must be ways around that. I think YouTube outght to require an icon or image that plainly says AI, and it should be visible on the video all the way through.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Watch the video and tell me what you think about this subject.

Monday Magic - Rewire Your Brain

Today's Monday Magic Tip is a little different. Instead of telling you about an app that may make your work life easier, I'm going to tell you about a YouTube video that may do the same.

I'm always urging SlingWords readers to keep a journal, to write your goals, to write an action items list, etc. even though I know many of you never put pen to paper in this digital world.

You make lists on your smartphone or a web app.

Guess what? There's sound science behind writing with pen and paper. Watch this video on The Upgrade with Makai Allbert channel which has over 42K subscribers. 

His video Handwriting Literally Rewires Your Brain has well over 2K comments, but what I like is the explanation of the science behind the premise. If you don't believe me, try it for a couple of weeks. I think you'll be shocked at how much you remember when making notes with handwriting and how much clearer your thinking is.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This is one of many videos I've seen and articles I've read about the effects of digital reading and/or learning and retention of what was learned. The truth is startling.


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CYBER SECURITY TIP

In this world where Artificial Intelligence is capturing more and more of our time and attention, we are faced with puzzling questions and frightening scenarios.

How do we protect our family in a world where privacy seems to be declining?

FAMILY PASSWORD

This is something we've had in our family for a couple of decades. Create a secret password that each member of your family can remember.

If that password is ever used in what seems like ordinary conversation, it means: "I'm in trouble. Call 911. Send help."

If you receive a late night phone call from one of your kids: "Help. I've been arrested. Wire $5000.00 for an attorney to SOME WEBSITE." If the call is really from one of your kids, he would say the password to verify it's really your child.

WHY IS ALL THIS IMPORTANT?

Because we live in a world where people put their real birthdates and private information on social media. They have their phones set so they can take calls from social media followers. 

They post pictures and videos of spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren. They log their daily movements and restaurants they frequent, vacations they take, and so much more.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

All of the above is fodder for scammers and crooks who can take those images and information and use Artificial Intellience to take advantage of you.


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Deciphering Online Typograpy Characters

Here's a quick tip to help you identify the difference between a lower case L and the number 1 when seen online.

To many people, those two look the same. Example, I'm typing l and 1—which was which? In this blog window what I typed looks identical.

In actuality, the first character I typed was the lower case L (l) and the second one I typed was the number 1— side by side, lower case L and number 1—l1l1l1.

It all depends on the font. In the compose font on my blog interface, they both look the same, but when you read this, the font will show a difference between the two with the lower case L being a straight line and the number 1 having a little slanted line at the top.

On Google apps, the lower case L has straight line at the top and the number 1 has a slanted line at top.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Hope this keeps you from making mistakes with passwords and other important information.

Monday Magic - Character Count Tool

In creating my latest Facebook ad, to make sure I had no more than the specified characters allowed, I plugged my proposed Headline into an app I've used for years.

In fact, every time I must fill out an online form that limits the number of characters, I use this app. 

I can't remember if I ever shared it with you so I'm doing that today.

Online Character Count Tool is free and it's priceless!

You can use it to count actual characters or characters and spaces. It's invaluable for anyone who has to restrict the size of text to a certain number of: Characters, Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, or Spaces.

In fact, I plug in what I want to say and then edit in the app until I hit the magic number allowed. You can use it on the website, no registering or download required.

Yes, it's ad supported, but the ads aren't popping up all over the place. They're not that intrusive.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think you'll find this is one of the most useful website apps ever.


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Monday Magic - Landscape Design App

Spring is coming, and I'm excited that gardening season is here again.

Every spring I make plans to finish landscaping the front and back yards, but I never quite get it done the way I like it.

Darling Hubby gets frustrated because I'm always changing the plan so this year, I thought I'd do something different.

I searched online and found a few free landscape design apps. I thought I'd post about them so you can try them along with me.

First up is Neighborbrite, an AI powered landscape design app that is always free to use unless you decide to upgrade to the pro version for more control and custumization for plant types, placements, and some other features. 

HOW IT WORKS

Neighborbrite uses advanced AI technology to help you design. Upload a photo of the outdoor space  you want to design, choose a garden style, and get design ideas for your space.

That's it. There's nothing to download and install since it's an online site to use. You don't need any special tech skills or knowledge because it's designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.

To learn more before you try, check out their FAQ page.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm photographing my yard front and back. I'm excited to try this, and I hope it's as easy as it sounds. I'll let you know next Monday when I post another free app blog. Let me know if you also try Neighborbrite.

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Monday Magic - Time Management App

If you find yourself complaing about your inability to get important tasks completed, today's free app, Todoist, is for you.

Todoist has 3 levels of subscription: Beginner, Pro, and Business.

The Beginner level is always free and may be perfect for you. The othr levels are low-priced too.

WHAT CAN TODOIST DO FOR YOU

Used worldwide by millions, Todoist is simple to use and powerful. It's also considered by users to be the best to-do app on the market. You simply open the app, speak into your phone, and list your primary tasks. With the app, you can:

  • sort your tasks into Today, Upcoming, or use custom filters
  • see only what you need to see and when you need it
  • schedule due dates
  • visualize your week in calendar view
  • set recurring tasks with ease.
If you work with a team, you can collaborate using the app. Also, you don't have to create your personal to do list from scratch, there are over 50 templates you can use.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If poor time management is holding you back, try Todoist. It just might be what you need.

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Monday Magic - Free Alternative to MS Office Suite

One of my projects this year is to move from a Windows platform to Linux. Actually, my Darling Hubby will be helping me with this.

We are part of the millions switching from expensive cloud-based subscription software and Windows operating systems to Linux and free open source software.

There are a few reasons for this: tired of the constant updates, the virus/worm threats, the  expense associated with all of that, and the time required to deal with it as well as re-learn software that worked perfectly well until it changed.

Like I said, the Linux operating system is free as is most of the software needed to replace the software I currently use.

That brings me to the free software today's post is about: LibreOffice.

I'm making changes in my Work Life
LibreOffice is an entire suite of applications that is open source. It's a viable and very popular alternative to Microsoft Office.

Writer is the word processing software—like MS Word

Calc—like Excel—is for spreadsheets. Impress—like PowerPoint—is their version of presentations. Draw is for vector graphics. Base is for databases, and Math is for math formula editing.

COMPATIBILITY

The files created in LibreOffice are compatible with Microsoft Office files, i.e. docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and OpenDocument formats, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

It's backed by The Document Foundation which provides a powerful, private, subscription-free experience for millions worldwide. 

Included in LibreOffice are all the essential tools for productivity. You can open, edit, and save in Microsoft Office formats which makes it easy to collaborate with users of other suites. Some complex documents might need minor adjustments so be aware of that.

There is no cost and no subscriptions to be paid. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with unofficial support for other systems. You can also use it to work offline, giving you privacy and control over your files, unlike cloud-based alternatives.

Even better, there are a gazillion YouTube videos discussing how to make the switch from Windows to Linus as well as videos about all of the software to replace software you currently pay for—like LibreOffice.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm testing LibreOffice since I can use it on my Windows computers and haven't come across any problems with it. I definitely think it's worth trying, and the price—FREE—can't be beat.


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Monday Magic - Holiday Free Apps

Believe it or not, today's Monday Magic Free Apps are from Microsoft. 

Go to the download pages in the links and sign into your Microsoft account then download the apps.

Animated Snow Fall See the world painted white with the colors of snow. Chill your environment with snow falling on your screen. This snow app is designed with the animated view of the snow and soft background music. Use the background music pre-loaded in app for the perfect ambiance. 

Click to Download Animated Snow Fall from the Microsoft Store. (Be sure you're signed in.)

Holiday Watch helps you count down to Christmas. You can track the days, hours, minutes, and even seconds until Christmas. A festive snowfall image shows on your desktop.

This is great if you have young children who are constantly asking, "When will Christmas get here?" It's also great if you're tight on time and need to know exactly how much time you have left to fulfill all of your holiday requirements.

If you still need to do some Christmas shopping, it will display a  list of the hottest gadgets and toys of the season which means it has ads and offers in-app purchases.

Click to Download Holiday Watch from the Microsoft store. (Be sure you're signed in.) 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Avoid getting overwhelmed. Smile and be of good cheer!

(Try reading a funny Christmas romance like Nobody's Cinderella for an attitude adjustment.)


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Kindle Colorsoft - Special Deal

Did you know there was a Kindle that displays in color? I didn't so I was surprised to see one listed for today's Cyber Monday deals.

Kindle Colorsoft is amazing with its color display and warm adjustable light. Better yet, no ads!

Regularly priced at $249.99, it's on special today for $169.99. Check out the Colorsoft features:

Read in color – 7" display, high-contrast, easy on the eyes, paper-like color

Optimized for reading in color — "normal" Kindle display is optimized for black and white reading

Color your pages – Highlight favorite scenes in colors

Long battery charge – single charge via USB-C lasts up to 8 weeks

Read in any light – Adjust display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark

Waterproof – makes it worry free so you can read your Colorsoft by the pool, in the bath, and  anywhere in between.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think this is one of the best bargains offered today. Let me know if you get one.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Scoop up one of Joan's popular RomCom books for only 99¢

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Monday Magic - Free App - Audio Editing and Recording

Today I'm hoping you'll try Audacity, the world's most popular audio editing and recording app.

You may not believe this but Audacity is FREE. That's right. It costs absolutely zero dollars.

WHAT IS AUDACITY?

It's the world’s most popular free software for recording and editing audio. If you're producing music, a podcast, or just playing around with sound, you should try Audacity.

Why? Because it's for anyone who wants to get creative with sound. Of course, it’s perfect for anyone who needs to quickly edit or export audio, for any reason.

Audacity has always been and will always remain free for everyone. because it's open source. That means its source code remains open to anyone to view or modify, and there is a dedicated worldwide community of passionate audio lovers who have collaborated to make Audacity the treasure it is today.

Give it a try. Simply go to the Audacity website. Read the information there and download if you're ready.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It's getting harder and harder to find excellent software that's free. Thankfully, Audacity remains to fill the audio needs of those who are budget conscious.


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Monday Magic - Free App to Check URLs

It's been a while since I found some free apps worth sharing.

Today, I'd like to tell you about VirusTotal, an app  free for end-users for non-commercial use. It offers a public website to analyze files and check URLs to see if they are legitimate.

I don't know about you, but I'm besieged with emails, DMs, texts, etc. that all seem genuine and containing URLs. I never click anything unless I can check it out and be assured that it's not dangerous.

VirusTotal also offers a premium paid version with advanced features, such as a Premium API that is restricted to paid customers.

"With the free public website, you can use the VirusTotal website to scan files, URLs, and other observables for malicious content without a cost." 

The website is easy to use. Here are 2 links to access the website checker. The first is for a PC with up to date browsers. Simply click here: AccessVirusTotal.

 The second link is for a PC running an old browser. Just click here:  Old Browser AccessVirusTotal.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Adopt the policy never to click anything no matter how genuine or innovent it may appear to be. Always check.


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Monday Magic - Cell Phone Security Tips

Good morning! Today I wanted to share some cell phone information.

Darling Hubby and I are in the market for new cell phones. We're iconoclasts who hang on to expensive tech as long as possible.

It's obvious my battery is going on my iPhone so I was cruising YouTube and looking at phone information.

I found a video about Apple's trillion dollar payouts to China and how the workers who make most of the cell phones on the market earn about 50¢ an hour for 12 hour days. That payment has increased a pittance but it still is way below what it should be. Workers should get a living wage not a pittance.

My research includes looking at smartphones in general: where are they made, how secure is the data on them, how likely are they to be hacked, etc. My concern is that private data is increasingly difficult to keep private. Apparently, everything about millions of us is now available on the dark web.

HAS YOUR PHONE BEEN HACKED

Your smartphone can be hacked. Someone can even watch you through the camera in your phone—yes, that is possible, especially with an Android phone.

If your phone is acting funky, check to see if it has been tapped.

Simply dial *#21# and that will check to see if your phone is being monitored or if your calls and messages are being forwarded.

If you find data on your phone is being forwarded, dail *#62# and that will show where your calls are being forwarded.

SIGNS YOUR PHONE IS COMPROMISED

If you think someone is watching you through your phone—look for these signs:

1. suspicious background app activity

2. odd camera behavior

3. strange camera light behavior

4. unexpected screen behavior

5. phones, videos, or audio files on your phone that you did not make

6. higher data usage

7. your location is being accessed

8. poor video call performance

9. strange sounds when your making or receiving a phone call

You can also scan your phone using Certo, a spyware detection tool for iPhone and Android.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PHONE IS COMPROMISED

Immediately delete any suspicious apps. Use a tool like Certo or something similar. Run a Google search for anti-spyware for smartphones to find one you like.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

 I'm still gathering information. I found 1 company in the United States that makes smartphones designed to keep user data secure—the Purism Librem 5, with a Linux OS.I'll keep you posted about what we choose.


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Monday Magic - YouTube Trick - Change Start Page

Good Monday Morning! Ready for a little Tech Magic?

If you're like me and have Subscriptions to dozens of YouTube channels, do you still start YouTube with the Home Page opening?

That takes time, doesn't it?

There's an easier way to get going with YouTube by going straight to your Subscriptions page, and it's easy to do.

CHANGE HOME PAGE TO YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS PAGE

1. When you click on YouTube, it opens automatically at the Home Page. Go to the link displayed in the browser, which will be https://www.youtube.com and add this bit of code to that link:

/feed/subscriptions

which results in this URL:

https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions

Now, with that URL displaying, bookmark it. Next time you go to YouTube, go to your bookmarks, click the one you made for YouTube, and the website will open on your Subscriptions page.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

A minute saved is a minute earned—or something to that effect. Have a great Monday!



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Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Monday Magic - YouTube Trick 2 Ways

Do you attend YouTube University? I do—just about every day of the week.

Of course, I mean learning how to do something from a YouTube video. My Darling Hubby has repaired more mechanical things than I thought possible just by watching videos on how to do it.

So far, he's replaced sprinkler heads, repaired a sprinkler valve, figured out what was wrong with his pickup's engine fan that 4 trips to the dealer—cost about $1K—didn't properly diagnose it, replaced the blade on the riding lawn mower, and on and on.

I don't know how much he's saved us in repair bills, but I do know the cost of parts he ordered were a fraction of what a repair service wanted.

Me? I mostly watch videos for research, graphic design, using AI for graphics, and other information probably used mostly by authors.

I do find I go back to videos I watched for research to find a specific part of the video to make notes, and it takes time if you have to scroll from the beginning because many videos do not have time or subject matter stamps on them.

I discovered there's a way to easily do this. So that and other tricks are the focus of today's Monday Magic Tech Video.

1. Go to a specific part of a video by adding a bit of code at the end of the URL.

There are 3 simple ways to do this. When you open the video, go to the URL in the address bar (must be the actual URL and not one from a playlist. At the end of the URL, type the & sign followed by t (for time) then the = sign and the time you want the video to start. For instance, to start at the 1 minute 5 second mark, you'd type: 1m1s then copy that URL

When you paste it into a address bar, the video will start at that time stamp. Example: Here's the URL for one of my videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8ZSIW3aBI

To start it at the 27 second mark, I added: &t=27s to the end of the URL which made it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8ZSIW3aBI&t=27s and then I copied that URL and saved it. I can now paste that URL into the address bar—without opening YouTube etc.—and the video will open at that time stamp.

Another example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y415Y-EqcUg&t=1m18s

2. Go to a specific part of a video by using the YouTube Share feature.

The second way is even easier, but by reading the first way you'll understand what bit of code is added to make this happen.

This way is simply typing in the time and letting the YouTube feature add the code.

When playing a video and you reach the spot where you want to return to it again, pause it, go below the video to SHARE. 

In the pop-up box, there's a little square that says START. Put a check mark in the box, and a time designation appears. If that's exactly the point to return to in the future, click copy, and the link with that time stamp as the start is saved to your clipboard. Paste it anywhere you want.

If you want to start a few seconds before or after that or whenever, simply change the time stamp YouTube popped up to what you want and then copy, etc.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope this helps. If you like YouTube tricks, keep visiting on Monday. I've learned a bunch that saves a lot of time. I intend to add these to my Monday feature. That's a wrap for Monday. Have a great week.


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Monday Magic App - Doodle

Trying to get a meeting or event scheduled with multiple people attending can be like herding cats.

Doodle is a free app—a scheduling tool—that can make it much less frustrating, and it's easy to use.

It simplifies organizing meetings and events by allowing users to create polls to find the best time for everyone involved. 

You create a poll with date and time options and share the poll link with those who want to participate.

QUICK GUIDE TO USING DOODLE

1. Get started by visiting Doodle Website.

2. Click the green button, Create a Doodle.

3. Sign up for a free account or log in if you already have one.

4. Enter Meeting Details, i.e., title, location, and notes you think are pertinent/

5.  Add Date and Time Options available for the meeting.

6. Customize Any Poll Options you might need, i.e., "yes," "no," "limited options" etc.

7. Share the Poll via the generated link with participants via email or the Doodle app.

8. To Participate in the Poll, those invited will receive the link and can indicate their preferred time by clicking the appropriate boxes, choosing thee responses: YES, NO, IF-NEED-BE on each time slot.

9. Choose Final Option. As the organizer, once everyone has responded, analyze the poll results, and choose the final meeting time.

TIP: Select the time with the most votes or the time that works best for everyone.

9. If needed, send Calendar Invitations. This requires you to have a calendar connected to your Doodle account. When that is done, a calendar invitation will be sent out automatically to each participant once you've made your dat and time selection.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The free version of this works quite well. For more information about paid plans or tips and tricks on using this tool, visit the Doodle website.


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Monday Magic Tip - Tabs

Instead of a review on a free app for Monday Magic, I'm giving you a quick tip to make your browsing easier.

If you're still opening tabs on a browser the old school way—by moving your mouse up to the + sign and clicking, you're wasting time.

When you want to open a new tab, simply click this key combination: CTRL + t. Voila! A new tab opens in a nano second.

That's right, it's that simple—the CTRL key and the letter t on your keyboard.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Seconds saved can add up to minutes. I'll give more tips like this because I find them so useful and time-saving. Try this and let me know if you incorporate it into your work routine.



Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.


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