Weekly Tech Tips and News for February 24, 2017

K.Szczytko, Cozumel 2016

When traveling to tourist locations, most of us know to be aware of our surroundings, looking out for those who are trying to con us out of our money or wallets. Then there are those, such as the bird man from Cozumel, in the photo at left, who are very upfront about their intentions. If only all situations were this clear! Sadly we need to be increasingly vigilant in our everyday interactions with technology. Scammers are constantly refining their techniques to separate us from our data and money. In the past few weeks even Google was duped into displaying what appeared to be a legitimate ad that appeared at the top of a Google search. When clicked on, it presented the user with a very real looking pop up, warning that the computer had security issues and to contact "Windows Technical Support" right away. The user was unable to close the message or the browser without either using Task Manager or turning off the computer. The true intention was to get users to call the number and allow the bogus technical support person to remote into the computer, install malware or take the computer hostage until the user pays up. Unless you contact vendor support directly (not from a number on a pop up or ad), never let anyone you don't know remote into your computer. Before clicking on search links, hover over them. The actual web address appears in the lower left corner of your screen. Make sure the first part of it matches the address displayed on the link. Read the Scam Alerts posts below for more information. Knowledge is power! The more you know, the less vulnerable you'll be. With that knowledge, you'll be able to relax and hang out like these Iguanas sunning in Aruba last week. (Yes, the water really is that color.)

K.Szczytko, Aruba 2017

Also in this issue are the latest G Suite updates for slides and sheets, G Suite Show episodes, how to password protect Google Forms, create bingo cards, and a game your kids will love, called Spacehopper.

• Scam Alerts:  Chrome Malware and New "Windows Support" Twist
• Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides
• G Suite Updates:  Google Sheets
• Password Protect Google Forms
• The G Suite Show:  Gmail Gems
• The G Suite Show:  Smarter Scheduling with Calendar
• Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets
• Spacehopper - Where in the World?
• The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology

Scam Alerts: Chrome Malware and New "Windows Support" Twist

Watch Out for This Chrome Malware

This isn't an issue for Chromebooks, but it can be for those of us using the Chrome browser on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android devices. Be on the alert for websites that want you to download a font to view the site. You should NEVER need to install a font to view a website. Never click Update if presented with the message above. Doing so will install malware on your device. This malware is new enough that very few antivirus programs can detect it. If you see this, close the tab or the entire browser, but do not click on the message. As a general rule of thumb, it is very important to read all messages that pop up, and not just click OK without reading them.

New "Windows Support" Twist

Now that pretty much everyone is aware that Microsoft will never call you to offer support for your computer, the scammers have become more creative. Their new angle is to get unsuspecting users to call them. The messages that pop up on your computer vary from "Your computer has been blocked" to "Your computer has been disconnected from the Internet", but they all give you a "Microsoft Support" number to call. Be assured, Microsoft never issues messages urging you to call their support line. These fake messages are just websites that are trying to entice you to call them or download malware to "clean up" your computer. Never call Microsoft Support, or any other technical support number that pops up on your screen. What should you do if you encounter one of these messages? Certainly contact me right away. If I'm not available, press Ctrl Alt Del and select Task Manager. Click on each internet browser activity listed (Chrome, IE, Firefox, etc.), and click on End Task. That will close the internet browser, usually getting rid of the offending message. The next time you open your browser, if it asks you to restore the previous session, click NO! Then make sure you don't click on the same internet link again. If you need to contact Microsoft or any other vendor for support, go directly to their website for the contact information.

Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides

Now You Can Insert Videos from Google Drive Into Google Slides, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
You are no longer limited to YouTube videos for your Slides presentations. You can now insert videos directly from Google Drive. You can also determine where the video stops and starts. Just make sure the sharing properties for the video file are set so it can be shared.

G Suite Updates:  

Link to Cell Ranges in Sheets

If you are navigating through a large spreadsheet, it can be difficult to find the section you need. Now you can create links to specific cell ranges within the sheet to create a table of contents. Get all the details here.

Formatting Improvements in Sheets

googleblog.com

Several formatting improvements in Google Sheets have been long awaited. You can now rotate text

in a cell, which is perfect for those long column headers. Rotate them so they read vertically to take up less space. There have also been improvements with accounting number formats - the dollar signs now line up. You will also have more border styles to choose from, including a selection of thicknesses and double border styles. Sheets in mobile apps have also seen several improvements - you'll see the ability to use a mouse, custom colors, as well as the ability to drag and drop rows and columns on your Android phones and tablets. On iPhones and iPads, you will now be able to drag and drop rows and columns and formatting suggestions in Explore. For full details, check out Google's G Suite Updates blog.

Password Protect Google Forms

Password Protect Google Forms from Badiner Bytes & Tech Tidbits by Jeremy Badiner
This is a great way to enable you to share a quiz with your students, but prevent them from seeing the questions until it's time to take the quiz. It's also a terrific way to create games where students must answer a question correctly to progress. You simply create a question that requires a specific answer or password, then use that question as a gateway to the rest of the form.

The G Suite Show:  Gmail Gems

The G Suite Show:  Smarter Scheduling With Calendar

Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets

Quickly Create Bingo Boards in Google Sheets, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

The Flippity add-on for Sheets now has a Bingo Board template. You can now easily play Bingo to review or test your students' knowledge. This is the same tool that can be used to create flash cards, create a quiz show, MadLibs-style story starters, random name picker, and more.

Spacehopper - Where in the World?

This game, using Google Maps, presents you with a street view photo of a location. Using the clues in the the photo, you must figure out where it is on a map. Because the photo is a Google Street View, it is a 360° photo - you can scroll around and zoom in or out to see more details. Each game round consists of five locations, worth a maximum of 10 points each. You can filter the scope of the locations by the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas, or leave it at Global for anywhere in the world. Not sure where the location is? Google any information you find in the photo, such as street signs, landmarks, building signs, etc., to help you narrow down the location. Use Google Translate to figure out signs that are not in English. If your photo doesn't have many clues, there is a clue button to help you out, of course using it takes away possible points. On my first Global round, I scored a 39 out of 50. I did much better (48 out of 50) when I limited it to the Americas. Give it a try at spacehopper.io. It's not just for geography!

The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology

The Things I Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

There's some good advice here from other educators. I would add - don't be afraid of it! Most things can be corrected fairly easily. Like anything else, the more you use it, the more familiar it becomes. If something unexpected happens that you don't know how to remedy, don't panic - Google it! There's usually a simple solution available.