Miriam Brent » The Guardian

How do I hide rows and columns in Microsoft Excel?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:56 +0000

It’s not the most user-friendly application in the world, but Excel can sometimes be crucial to our working lives. Loathed by many, it’s a bit like a cantankerous old man: intimidating at first, but scratch the surface and you’ll develop a grudging respect for its wisdom.

One of the big problems with Excel spreadsheets is their size. At more than 16 million cells, they’re great if you’ve got a lot of info to input but a bit tricky when it comes to navigation. Usually you won’t need to see all of the data in a spreadsheet, and it’s even less likely you’ll want to print it all. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I chat to people with different Instant Messenger applications?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:13 +0000

Instant Messenger isn’t just the favoured mode of communication for depressed teenagers avoiding homework; it can be invaluable for those urgent work questions that need an answer sharpish, too. Unfortunately it’s unlikely that all your friends and colleagues have the decency to choose the same messenging client – some will use Yahoo, others can dabble in Google Talk or AIM. So what do you do to prevent your desktop becoming cluttered with buddy lists from all your different IM accounts? Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How do I use mobile broadband?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:00:33 +0000

If the stickers dotted around coffee shops are to be believed, the UK is one big Wi-Fi hotspot. But unfortunately, a hotspot is often not a free spot. While it’s nice to believe we’re living in a free wireless internet utopia, in fact you’ll probably have to pay for your web surfing along with your skinny mocha. Combine that with the fact hotspots are location-dependent, and getting online no longer seems quite so easy. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I get the best from Google searches?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:01 +0000

Ploughing through the reams of results generated by your search terms in Google can be a tedious affair – and it doesn’t help when sneaky web designers use their dark art to make sites pop up that bear little or no relevance to your search. Those links and text-only snippets that Google provides often don’t give much away – so it’s all too easy to end up on an irrelevant or potentially harmful rogue site.

To help combat this problem, the third-party browser extension GooglePreview shows thumbnail images of the sites included in your search results. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I automate regular tasks in Windows XP?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:00:46 +0000

We all wish our coworkers had mind-reading capabilities – but failing that, computers make pretty good mind-reading substitutes. Well, almost. At least if you give a computer a list of tasks you expect it to complete on a regular basis, it’ll just get on with it – no questions asked.

Scheduling tasks takes the responsibility for those mundane, yet necessary, jobs like defragging and backing-up off our hands, a bit like a reliable PA. Any script, program or document can be scheduled to run at a time convenient for you. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I delete duplicated files on my computer?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:00:45 +0000

It’s a fact: busy people have cluttered hard drives. It’s also true that multiple copies of the same data can account for a substantial amount of that clutter. How many times have you re-downloaded an email attachment or accidentally re-imported old photos from a memory card? These duplicates can be found eating up space in all sorts of crannies on your hard drive.

One option is to painstakingly go through the contents of your hard drive, manually deleting rogue twins. Bit pushed for time? There’s software to do it for you. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I check the speed of my broadband connection?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0000

A recent study by the comparison website broadband-expert.co.uk suggests that actual speeds are often only half the advertised rate. This has lead to the introduction this month of a voluntary code for ISPs by the regulator Ofcom. The new code will mean ISPs taking part will have to give customers an accurate measure of their broadband speed, and offer a lower-speed package if these estimates are incorrect. But how can you tell the speed of your connection? Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I make quick notes on my computer?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:16 +0000

If your desk is obscured by yellow Post-its and scraps of paper, you’ve probably experienced the pain of sifting through random numbers, illegible names and meaningless memos in search of that crucial note. Meetings, phone calls and work in general can all leave us feeling like the victims of an information assault, which is why it’s important to find an efficient way of taking notes.

Using your computer to make notes tackles the dual problems of legibility and location, and provides you with a greater degree of organisation – not to mention a tidier desk. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can you transfer data between Macs in Target Disk Mode?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:00:25 +0000

USB stick, external hard drive, online backup – there are now numerous ways to transfer information between two computers. For Mac users, one of the best ways to get large amounts of data from one computer to another is using the built-in Target Disk Mode feature.

Target Disk Mode essentially turns your Mac temporarily into an external hard disk or “target”, allowing it to be connected to another “host” Mac via Firewire. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited

How can I schedule a specific time to send an email?

Miriam Brent — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:00:32 +0000

There are times when sending work-related emails is just plain inappropriate. Take that end of year report; do you really want your boss to know you finished it at 3.30am, or would it be better to be the early bird and send it through at 8am, at the top of the Inbox?

Getting up half an hour early just to press send on all your pre-prepared drafts is hardly ideal – which is where scheduling comes in. Many email clients and software add-ons now feature the ability to set a specific time to send your emails, getting around the need to hover your mouse over Send in person. Read full article on Guardian Unlimited