Tech Tips and News for October 24, 2019

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Here's a creepy story just in time for Halloween. In the latest breach of privacy news, while we know Amazon and Google employees review conversations recorded by their home assistants, Alexa and Google Home, at least they are only listening when the user has prompted them to. There are now a few third-party apps, approved by Amazon and Google, that are listening in all the time - even after you tell your home assistant to stop. In some cases, the app even prompted the user to divulge passwords. I would guess these apps won't be approved for long, but who knows how long this has been going on, or who the next culprits will be. Use those assistants with care, my friends, and choose your apps carefully. Speaking of Halloween, there are lots of helpful tricks and treats in the posts that follow, including plenty of Halloween-themed games for your class. Trick or treat safely and responsibly.

• Alexa and Google Home Abused to Eavesdrop and Phish Passwords
• How to Avoid Internet Fraud, Scams, Phishing, and Other Cybercrime
• How Windows 7's Extended Security Updates Will Work
• How to Fix Sound Problems in Windows 10
• How to Add and Customize Widgets on the iPad Home Screen
• G Suite Updates:  Customize Text Size and Position for Captions in Slides, Set Profile Picture for Gmail and All Google Apps
• Spice Up Your Slides with 600+ Free Design Templates
• How to Use Google Drive to Share Videos
• How to Share "Make a Copy" Links to Your Google Files
• Educandy - Quickly Create Educational Games from Word Lists
• How to Find and Edit Thousands of Halloween Games for Your Classroom

Alexa and Google Home Abused to Eavesdrop and Phish Passwords

Alexa and Google Home Abused to Eavesdrop and Phish Passwords, from ARS Technica by Dan Goodin
Most tech conveniences come with a trade off on privacy, but this one is quite alarming. There are a few Amazon- and Google-approved apps that pass themselves off as random number generators and horoscopes, but are actually listening to conversations at all times - even after you tell Alexa or Google to stop. These are malicious third parties, not Amazon or Google, who are listening to all the conversations in your home. Use your home assistant with caution. Even if you don't use these particular apps, more are sure to follow.

How to Avoid Internet Fraud, Scams, Phishing, and Other Cybercrime

How to Avoid Internet Fraud, Scams, Phishing, and Other Cybercrime, from PC World by JD Sartain
I like the broad range of this article. How can you tell if a website is legitimate? How to tell if a retail site is safe? How do I know if an email is a phishing attempt?

How Windows 7's Extended Security Updates Will Work

How Windows 7's Extended Security Updates Will Work, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
In case you've missed this discussion in previous posts. Windows 7 will stop receiving security updates after January 14, 2020. Security updates are what keep your devices safe to use online. So basically, for the average user, that means it's time to replace your computer.

How to Fix Sound Problems in Windows 10

How to Fix Sound Problems in Windows 10, from How-To Geek by Kevin Parrish
Resolve the sound mystery.

How to Add and Customize Widgets on the iPad Home Screen

How to Add and Customize Widgets on the iPad Home Screen, from How-To Geek by Khamosh Pathak
The Today View has changed in iPadOS13. Here's how to find and customize it.

G Suite Updates:  

Customize Text Size and Position for Captions in Slides

Last year Slides added the ability to display the speakers words in real time as they are presenting, with a feature called Captions. Now users can adjust the font style and size of those captions in the slides so they can be seen better. Learn how to make those changes in the G Suite Updates blog.This feature should become available in the next couple of weeks.

Set Profile Picture for Gmail and All Google Apps

Oddly enough, until now, you could set your profile photo for Gmail, but it wouldn't show up in the rest of your apps unless you set it in Chrome too. That is now changing, and one profile image will be for Gmail as well as the rest of your G Suite apps. If you have a profile pic for Gmail, but not for apps (or vice versa) you can select the image you use for all. You just need to visit About Me to set it. (You can also set all kinds of other info about you there, too.) If you have different images, you'll be automatically prompted to select one image for both. Clear as mud? I'm not sure why there was more than one profile image to begin with, but at least it's being consolidated now. As always, full details can be found in the G Suite Updates blog.

Spice Up Your Slides with 600+ Free Design Templates

Spice Up Your Slides with 600+ Free Design Templates, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Tired of the few templates Slides has built in? There are several sources for templates in this post, including those for presentations, graphic organizers, planners, rewards and more.

How to Use Google Drive to Share Videos

How to Use Google Drive to Share Videos, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Students do not need YouTube to share their videos.

How to Share "Make a Copy" Links to Your Google Files

How to Share "Make a Copy" Links to Your Google Files, from How-To Geek by Brady Gavin
So you want to share a file with a co-worker, but you don't want him or her to alter your current file. Did you know you can force them to make a copy before opening the document?

Educandy - Quickly Create Educational Games from Word Lists

Educandy - Quickly Create Educational Games from Word Lists, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Once you create your account and enter your word list, let the games begin. Games include quiz games, memory, hangman, word search and crosswords.

How to Find and Edit Thousands of Halloween Games for Your Classroom

How to Find and Edit Thousands of Halloween Games for Your Classroom, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Kahoot! has you covered!

Tech Tips and News for October 11, 2019

Flickr Tatsuo Yamashita

This week's post contains several tips for iPhone and iPad users due to the recent iOS 13 update. These tips should help those users determine what settings need to be set or unset, and how to use some of the new features. Updates can be so helpful, but only if you know how to use them. This week's safety and security posts include how to check if your device has a virus, and best practices for protecting your identity online. It's so important to be careful online, and ever diligent. It's a shame we need to be so suspicious, but unfortunately, that's the online world we live in.

• Does Your Computer Have a Virus? Here's How to Check
• How to Protect Your Identity Online
• G Suite Updates:  New Look for Docs, Sheets & Slides on Android
• Just Updated to iOS 13? Change These Eight Settings Now
• How to Customize the Share Sheet on you iPhone or iPad
• How to Use Multiple Windows of an App on Your iPad
• 5 Handy Google Slides Features You Might Be Overlooking
• A Tool to Simulate Text Messages Between Historical Figures
• Math & Science Halloween Lessons

Does Your Computer Have a Virus? Here's How to Check

Does Your Computer Have a Virus? Here's How to Check, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
It's not always easy to tell these days if your computer is infected. Sometimes it's obvious, and other times a virus may be hiding in the background.

How to Protect Your Identity Online

How to Protect Your Identity Online, from How-To Geek by Dave Johnson
Good advice from common actions to more advanced, depending upon how careful you wish to be.

G Suite Updates

New Look for Docs, Sheets & Slides on Android

Google is in the process of updating everything to their new Material Design. Docs, Sheets and Slides on Android devices are next in line for this update. This process is designed to give all G Suite apps the same look and feel, regardless of which device you are using. They will look the same on a desktop or laptop as they do on a mobile phone. Full details can be found in the G Suite Updates blog post. 

Just Updated to iOS 13? Change These Eight Settings Now

Just Updated to iOS 13? Change These Eight Settings Now, from How-To Geek by Tim Brookes

Learn your way around the new settings. 

How to Customize the Share Sheet on you iPhone or iPad

How to Customize the Share Sheet on you iPhone or iPad, from How-To Geek by Khamosh Pathak

This feature is new with the upgrade to iOS 13 and iPadOS13. The share sheet provides your sharing options when you wish to share something with another user/account/device on your iPhone or iPad.

How to Use Multiple Windows of an App on Your iPad

How to Use Multiple Windows of an App on Your iPad, from How-To Geek by Khamosh Pathak

Sometimes it's very helpful to have two separate windows from the same app open side by side. Here's how. 

5 Handy Google Slides Features You Might Be Overlooking

A Tool to Simulate Text Messages Between Historical Figures

A Tool to Simulate Text Messages Between Historical Figures, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

The best part about this tool is that students don't need to register or create an account to use it. 

Math & Science Halloween Lessons

Math & Science Halloween Lessons, from Free Technology for Teachers, by Richard Byrne

The students will be obsessed with Halloween anyway, so you might as well channel all the energy into learning. 

Tech Tips and News for October 4, 2019

Courtesy of Flickr-Kimberly Reinhart

I'm not sure where September went, but here we are already in October! Our lives are so busy, but it's good to take time to review the latest scams, what to do if we get a phishing email, and to remind ourselves to use proper email etiquette. So much of our communications are now done online, it's important to remember to be as polite online, as we are in person. There are also some helpful updates and tips. Take some time to enjoy the changing season, and remember to be kind.

• 5 NEW Online Scams to Watch Out For!
• G Suite Updates:  Display Word Count in Docs, Better Line Spacing for Docs and Slides
• The safest way to free up storage space on your iPhone or iPad
• What Should You Do If You Receive a Phishing Email?
• Common Craft Explains How to Craft Clear Email Communication
• Email Etiquette for Students
• How to Quickly Search Google Drive
• 5 Features of Google's Advanced Search Menu
• EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Save Time
• EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Stay Organized
• EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Increase Collaboration

5 NEW Online Scams to Watch Out For!

G Suite Updates

Display Word Count in Docs

This is for those times when you need to know how many words are in your document. You no longer need to check the word count every so often. Now you can select Tools > Word Count > Display Word Count, and the word count will display while you're typing. Full details can be found here.

Better Line Spacing for Docs and Slides

To better control the appearance of your fonts, you can now set custom line spacing to less than zero. This will help text fit into a slide or specific space better. You should see this feature in late September or early October. Here are the full details.

The safest way to free up storage space on your iPhone or iPad

The safest way to free up storage space on your iPhone or iPad, from ZDNet by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
There's a better way than deleting all your prized photos.

What Should You Do If You Receive a Phishing Email?

What Should You Do If You Receive a Phishing Email? from How-To Geek by Rob Woodgate
What to do, and what not to do.

Common Craft Explains How to Craft Clear Email Communication

Common Craft Explains How to Craft Clear Email Communication, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
This is not only helpful information for your students, but a good reminder for all adults as well.

Email Etiquette for Students

How to Quickly Search Google Drive

How to Quickly Search Google Drive, from How-To Geek by Brady Gavin
Google Drive is the filing cabinet for all your Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and any other file types you are storing in your Google account. Learn how to quickly find your files.

5 Features of Google's Advanced Search Menu

5 Features of Google's Advanced Search Menu, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Good Google search skills are imperative to getting accurate information quickly. Both adults and students need to learn how to fine tune an online search.

EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Save Time

EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Stay Organized

EDU in 90:  Chrome Extensions to Increase Collaboration