[Tiny Tips] – Tech life hacks – If you see the value in simple shortcuts that can significantly reduce the overall time you spend on a task, many people might say you’re smart. And for good reason: using technology correctly can make your life easier than it would otherwise be.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top ten tech life hacks that can make your life easier and help you complete tasks faster and more efficiently.
Create Wi-Fi codes for guests
If you’re tired of changing your Wi-Fi password every time you share it with guests, it’s time to change it the smart way.
With Qifi.org, you can generate a QR code to access your Wi-Fi without entering a password. All you need to do is enter your network name and password.
Once you receive the QR code, you simply print it out and give it to the person who wants to access your WiFi to scan.
Use Google Translate to proofread long papers
If you are a student or content writer and cannot find anyone to proofread your work, then Google is your friend. If you spend a lot of time writing, it can be difficult to spot errors in your work. Luckily, you can use your ears instead of your eyes.
All you have to do is copy and paste your content into Google Translate and click the “Listen” icon. It reads the full text to you.
Stop buying e-books; borrow them instead
The best thing about ebooks is that you never forget to package them. They are always available on your device.
However, if you don’t want to keep a collection of e-books on your device, you should consider renting them to read rather than buying them. The OverDrive platform can help you find a local library to borrow the books you want.
There are also specialized apps such as Sora for students and Libby for everyone. If you need to borrow a specific book for a project or just a one-time read, you can download these apps on your mobile device and get started.
Additionally, since it is an online platform, all your books are automatically returned on their due date. This way you don’t have to worry about late fees. However, you can renew at any time if it has not been completed yet.
Save time by speaking instead of writing
If you’re pressed for time or have difficulty typing due to an injury, just use the voice typing feature. It’s available in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
To enable this feature in Word, simply select the Dictation option in the Start menu or press Windows Key + H to display the Dictation toolbar.
From there you can click on the microphone and start dictating text. To enter punctuation, say it explicitly.
The same applies to Google Docs. Go to the Tools menu and select the Voice Typing option. Once done, just click on the microphone to get started.
Transform old mobile devices into new tools
You may want to consider getting rid of your old phone or selling it for a lower price because you no longer use it. Believe it or not, you can create something with it. For example:
- Download the Universal TV Remote Control app to turn your old phone into a TV remote control.
- Use it as an alarm clock and keep your main phone away from you in the morning. It will help you wake up on time and avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning.
- Turn it into a home security camera by installing the Alfred CCTV Camera for Home app. However, make sure you keep your phone somewhere where it can always stay connected.
- Turn it into a dash cam. All you need to do is download the Droid Dashcam app, activate it, buy the mount, use the mount to connect your phone to your dashboard, plug it in, and you’re ready to go.
Optimize Google Search
If you are researching and want to filter out some web results, just use the minus sign. It precedes the word you want to remove from search results.
For example, if you search for the term “time management” you will get the following results: Wikipedia is at the top.
However, if you search time management – Wikipedia, you will get completely different results.
Find songs by humming
Have you ever experienced that crazy situation where a song is floating in your head, but you just don’t know what it is? Well, today this depression is finally over. Midomi is a platform that lets you hum songs and find out their titles.
All you have to do is visit the website, click the button to identify the song, and start humming. Once finished, click the same button to stop listening and start searching. It will immediately show you all the matches it finds.
Try these six keyboard shortcuts to save time
Do you want to save some time? Learn these keyboard shortcuts for your computer.
- Win + D: It helps you hide or show the desktop at the same time, no matter how many tabs and windows are open on the desktop.
- Spacebar: This allows you to scroll down the page.
- Shift + Spacebar: This allows you to scroll up the page.
- Win + Left/Right Arrow: If you have multiple windows open, you can use this shortcut to select two of them side by side and edit them.
- Alt + Tab: This keyboard shortcut lets you quickly switch between multiple windows.
- Win + L: Use this shortcut if you are working on something confidential and someone comes over. It will lock your computer within a second.
Determine the reading time of a book before starting a new one
If you love reading, you’ll love this tip. The How Long to Read platform lets you know exactly how long it takes to read a book from the first page to the last.
First, just search for your book title. Displays all available books with this name. Select the text you want to read. Then read the passages it contains. Don’t forget to press the timer button when you start and finish reading.
When you’re done, it calculates your reading speed and tells you how many hours it will take to finish the book you selected.
Use new tabs for timers
Whenever you use a timer, you may have noticed that you have to periodically check the remaining time by switching between windows. But what if you could see the countdown right in front of you?
The e.gg.timer application displays a timer countdown on a tab. This way you can see how much time is left even if you’re on another website.
Tech life hacks to make your life easier
There are countless life hacks you can implement using your skills. But first you can use the ones we discussed today.
Some things will definitely increase your workload, and some things will definitely become easier for you. Take the time to get used to these life hacks and you’ll have everything streamlined in no time.