Google smorgasbord

The top three recommendations, I think may surprise you. These start at the root of your Google experience. Your account.

My account

1. Account management

Let’s get at the root of your Google Account setting (personal). Know what information is visible. Check through your the security settings and verification and recovery methods. For the time you find yourself locked out or need to get access to your account somehow differently. It will happen… Set your “General preferences for the web.

2. Switching between accounts.

Remember you can have more than one account and switch between them.

3. Language and region

Voice recognition accuracy is influenced by accent. Search results are influenced by region. Set the right language and region.

Now for a handful of useful Google discoveries. If missed the last post. This is worth saying again. Remote learners without a device or competing for device time can access Google Classroom on their games console (9).

Tidbits – sheets

Sheets.new – In the browser type [G suite product].new to open a new file. For some reason, I love that one. So simple.

Google Sheets – I have tidied cells with TRIM and removed characters (in this instance Course codes from a column with LEN or =RIGHT(B1,LEN(B1)-6).

Where 6 = the 5-letter Course code and one character space.

I have auto generated QR codes – just three easy steps.

1. Label Column A “Text or URL.”
2. Label Column B – “QR code” where the QR Code will be generated
3. In cell B2 – =image(“https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=150×150&cht=qr&chl=”&A2)

Where 150×150 is the size.

Tidbits – Docs

In Google Docs (which I used mainly via speech to text) I used “Automatic substitutions” as a version of expandable text or text replacement. For examples SN substitutes to the name of my school. Of course it is meant to autocorrect those common misspellings.

“Automatic substitutions” are available via Tools:Preferences – Automatic substitutions.

Tidbits – Chrome

Making the most of Chrome has been time will spent and future time saved. The one area I have learnt most about is extensions, apps and the hot topic of PWAs or Progressive Web Apps.

Burgers and waffles. Top right the waffle. Two points. First the waffle is a quick way to access your Google Apps. Second, you can drag and drop the order of the icons. One within Google products you will find the burger icon in the top left (a sort of product 🏠 button.)

Extensions and apps. Google defines extensions as “extra features and functionality that you can easily add to Google Chrome.” Extensions are found on the browser bar.

I have added a couple of new Chrome Browser Extensions, a colour picker – Colorzilla and Dualless, giving you a split window experience – handy when using a Video Conferencing. Both available in the Chrome Web Store. There are a few extensions that improve Google Meetings too.

Apps are more like the programs you typically use on a computer, but they are all web-based. Google Drive is an App. Apps are found under the waffle icon in the top right. More App are available over in the G Suite Marketplace. For example Autocrat will merge your Google files together as a PDF. Handy.

Now you are working in the browser more often, extensions and apps add to the power and integration of your workflow.

G Drive

I learnt how to restrict file and folder access in Google Drive by setting an expiration dates.

I’ve used Google’s built in OCR reader (much like Text Fairy) to save time typing out text. Convert PDFs and don’t forget you can capture a photo on your mobile device, upload and scan via Google Drive in one step for the text.

Audio memos in Google Keep (via my phone) are automatically transcribed.

Publish to the web is not a feature I have used yet however I can see how this will be useful. For example sharing a presentation or embedding content elsewhere from G Drive.

Then there is Google Drawings. Handy for making small graphics, diagrams, and more. There are plenty of short cuts. CTRL+ALT +/- to zoom in and out. CTRL and arrow keys to more selections forwards and backwards (layers).

Progressive Web Apps

There is a lot of talk about Progressive Web Apps at the moment. For example – Canvas. No app store, no OS limitations. This simple and effective App is right there on the web and can be tied to your Google account for saving files. I need to learn more… (here is what I learnt).

Check out https://berry.red/ by simply typing it in the browser. A great way to curate and connect your thinking.

After G Suite and G Drive, a few off piste investigations of Google Meetings, Google Keep and Google Play Books, Jamboard is on my todo list.