10 top time-saving tech tips
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0:00 - 0:03I've noticed something interesting
about society and culture. -
0:03 - 0:06Everything risky requires a license.
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0:06 - 0:11So, learning to drive,
owning a gun, getting married. -
0:11 - 0:13There's a certain --
-
0:13 - 0:15(Laughter)
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0:15 - 0:19That's true in everything risky,
except technology. -
0:19 - 0:21For some reason,
there's no standard syllabus, -
0:21 - 0:23there's no basic course.
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0:23 - 0:27They just sort of give you your computer
and then kick you out of the nest. -
0:27 - 0:29You're supposed to learn
this stuff -- how? -
0:29 - 0:30Just by osmosis.
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0:30 - 0:33Nobody ever sits down and tells you,
"This is how it works." -
0:33 - 0:36So today I'm going to tell you ten things
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0:36 - 0:39that you thought everybody knew,
but it turns out they don't. -
0:39 - 0:42First of all, on the web,
if you want to scroll down, -
0:42 - 0:44don't pick up the mouse
and use the scroll bar. -
0:45 - 0:46That's a terrible waste of time.
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0:46 - 0:48Do that only if you're paid by the hour.
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0:48 - 0:50Instead, hit the space bar.
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0:50 - 0:54The space bar scrolls down one page.
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0:54 - 0:57Hold down the Shift key
to scroll back up again. -
0:57 - 1:00So, space bar to scroll down one page;
works in every browser, -
1:00 - 1:01in every kind of computer.
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1:01 - 1:05Also on the web, when you're filling in
one of these forms like your addresses, -
1:05 - 1:07I assume you know
that you can hit the Tab key -
1:07 - 1:09to jump from box to box to box.
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1:09 - 1:11But what about the pop-up menu
where you put in your state? -
1:12 - 1:14Don't open the pop-up menu.
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1:14 - 1:16That's a terrible waste of calories.
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1:16 - 1:19Type the first letter of your state
over and over and over. -
1:19 - 1:21So if you want Connecticut, go, C, C, C.
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1:21 - 1:25If you want Texas, go T, T,
and you jump right to that thing -
1:25 - 1:27without even opening the pop-up menu.
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1:27 - 1:30Also on the web,
when the text is too small, -
1:30 - 1:34what you do is hold down the Control key
and hit plus, plus, plus. -
1:34 - 1:37You make the text larger with each tap.
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1:37 - 1:39Works on every computer,
every web browser, -
1:39 - 1:41or minus, minus, to get smaller again.
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1:41 - 1:44If you're on the Mac,
it might be Command instead. -
1:44 - 1:47When you're typing
on your Blackberry, Android, iPhone, -
1:47 - 1:51don't bother switching layouts
to the punctuation layout -
1:51 - 1:53to hit the period and then a space,
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1:53 - 1:55then try to capitalize the next letter.
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1:55 - 1:57Just hit the space bar twice.
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1:57 - 2:00The phone puts the period,
the space, and the capital for you. -
2:01 - 2:02Go space, space.
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2:02 - 2:04It is totally amazing.
-
2:04 - 2:07Also when it comes
to cell phones, on all phones, -
2:07 - 2:11if you want to redial
somebody that you've dialed before, -
2:11 - 2:13all you have to do is hit the call button,
-
2:13 - 2:17and it puts the last phone number
into the box for you, -
2:17 - 2:20and at that point you can hit
call again to actually dial it. -
2:20 - 2:23No need to go to the recent calls list
if you're trying to call somebody -
2:23 - 2:25just hit the call button again.
-
2:25 - 2:26Something that drives me crazy:
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2:26 - 2:29When I call you and leave a message
on your voice mail, -
2:29 - 2:31I hear you saying, "Leave a message,"
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2:31 - 2:34and then I get these 15 seconds
of freaking instructions, -
2:34 - 2:38like we haven't had
answering machines for 45 years! -
2:38 - 2:42(Laughter)
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2:42 - 2:43I'm not bitter.
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2:43 - 2:44(Laughter)
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2:44 - 2:46So it turns out
there's a keyboard shortcut -
2:46 - 2:49that lets you jump directly
to the beep like this. -
2:49 - 2:50Phone: At the tone, please...
-
2:50 - 2:51(Beep)
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2:51 - 2:54David Pogue: Unfortunately,
the carriers didn't adopt -
2:54 - 2:56the same keystroke,
so it's different by carrier, -
2:56 - 2:59so it devolves upon you
to learn the keystroke -
2:59 - 3:01for the person you're calling.
-
3:02 - 3:04I didn't say these were going
to be perfect. -
3:05 - 3:06So most of you think of Google
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3:06 - 3:09as something that lets you
look up a web page, -
3:09 - 3:10but it is also a dictionary.
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3:10 - 3:13Type the word "define"
and the word you want to know. -
3:13 - 3:14You don't even have to click anything.
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3:14 - 3:17There's the definition as you type.
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3:17 - 3:19It's also a complete FAA database.
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3:19 - 3:21Type the name of the airline
and the flight. -
3:21 - 3:23It shows you where the flight is,
the gate, the terminal, -
3:23 - 3:25how long until it lands.
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3:25 - 3:26You don't need an app.
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3:26 - 3:28It's also unit and currency conversion.
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3:28 - 3:31Again, you don't have to click
one of the results. -
3:31 - 3:33Just type it into the box,
and there's your answer. -
3:33 - 3:35While we're talking about text --
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3:36 - 3:38When you want to highlight --
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3:39 - 3:40this is just an example --
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3:40 - 3:42(Laughter)
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3:42 - 3:44When you want to highlight a word,
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3:44 - 3:47please don't waste your life
dragging across it -
3:47 - 3:49with the mouse like a newbie.
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3:49 - 3:50Double click the word.
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3:50 - 3:52Watch "200" -- I go double-click,
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3:52 - 3:54it neatly selects just that word.
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3:54 - 3:56Also, don't delete
what you've highlighted. -
3:57 - 3:58You can just type over it.
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3:58 - 3:59This is in every program.
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3:59 - 4:01Also, you can go double-click, drag,
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4:01 - 4:04to highlight in one-word
increments as you drag. -
4:04 - 4:06Much more precise.
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4:06 - 4:07Again, don't bother deleting.
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4:08 - 4:09Just type over it.
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4:09 - 4:13(Laughter)
-
4:13 - 4:16Shutter lag is the time
between your pressing the shutter button -
4:16 - 4:18and the moment the camera actually snaps.
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4:18 - 4:21It's extremely frustrating
on any camera under $1,000. -
4:21 - 4:23(Camera click)
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4:23 - 4:26(Laughter)
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4:26 - 4:30So, that's because the camera needs time
to calculate the focus and exposure, -
4:30 - 4:33but if you pre-focus with a half-press,
-
4:33 - 4:35leave your finger down --
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4:35 - 4:36no shutter lag!
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4:37 - 4:39You get it every time.
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4:39 - 4:44I've just turned your $50 camera
into a $1,000 camera with that trick. -
4:44 - 4:47And finally, it often happens
that you're giving a talk, -
4:47 - 4:50and for some reason,
the audience is looking at the slide -
4:50 - 4:51instead of at you!
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4:51 - 4:54(Laughter)
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4:54 - 4:57So when that happens --
this works in Keynote, PowerPoint, -
4:57 - 5:00it works in every program
-- all you do is hit the letter B key, -
5:00 - 5:03B for blackout, to black out the slide,
make everybody look at you, -
5:03 - 5:06and then when you're ready
to go on, you hit B again, -
5:06 - 5:10and if you're really on a roll,
you can hit the W key for "whiteout," -
5:10 - 5:12and you white out the slide,
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5:12 - 5:15and then you can hit W again
to un-blank it. -
5:15 - 5:16So I know I went super fast.
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5:16 - 5:20If you missed anything, I'll be happy
to send you the list of these tips. -
5:20 - 5:21In the meantime, congratulations.
-
5:21 - 5:24You all get your California
Technology License. -
5:24 - 5:25Have a great day.
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5:25 - 5:28(Applause)
- Title:
- 10 top time-saving tech tips
- Speaker:
- David Pogue
- Description:
-
Tech columnist David Pogue shares 10 simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users. And yes, you may know a few of these already -- but there's probably at least one you don't.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 05:44
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Krystian Aparta commented on English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Thu-Huong Ha edited English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Thu-Huong Ha approved English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Thu-Huong Ha edited English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Morton Bast accepted English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for 10 top time-saving tech tips |
Krystian Aparta
The English transcript was updated on 4/30/2015.