SU Technology Tips & Tricks - March 2024

Summary

Email Building Block, Enabling Custom Suggestions, Google Apps File History, Universal Control on Mac & iPad

Body

 

Email Building Block in Google Docs

I may be in the minority on this, but I loathe writing long emails in Gmail's compose window. It just feels so limited and aesthetically meh. Now you're probably saying to yourself "Google Docs isn't much better," but hang with me here. 
 
Google Docs has an email building block that allows users to draft an email in a Doc. To use the building block go to Insert > Building block > Email draft OR use the @ menu shortcut by typing @email and hitting enter. Now you can draft your email with all the tools available in Docs. Once complete, you can even send the email directly from Docs. It's a great option for lengthy emails or emails that include images, tables, etc.
 

Enable (or Disable) Custom Suggestions

Did you know that Gmail has a "predictive text" type of feature? They call it Smart Compose, and depending on your preference, it can be a blessing or a curse. Essentially, Google uses machine learning to learn your writing style and then applies what it knows to help you write emails faster. This can be especially helpful if you find yourself writing the same (or eerily similar) emails over and over again that still need a slight touch of personalization. Of course, you may prefer to keep the machines out of your digital messaging lifestyle. In that case, Google does give us the ability to turn Smart Compose and Smart Compose Personalization off. My suggestion? Give it a try. Skynet is inevitable.  🤖🔥

 

File History in Google Apps

I would imagine by now we've all collaborated on a Google apps file. Whether it be a document, spreadsheet, or presentation, the ability to work together in real-time on the same file has been a life changer. It can be especially life changing (albeit temporarily) if a fellow collaborator makes an errant edit that renders the file useless. If this happens to one of your files, don't panic. Instead, use Google's Version History capabilities to discover where it all went wrong. Go to File > Version history > See version history (or use the keyboard shortcut command+option+shift+H) and you will be presented with a full history of edits (and who made them) to the file in question. From there, you can even choose to restore the file to its former, unscathed version.
Please note that restoring a file to a previous version may cause a loss of data entered in subsequent versions, so make sure to copy whatever data needs to be reentered before restoring.
For more information on Version History and how to compare different files, visit Find what's changed in a file
 

 

Upcoming macOS & iPadOS Upgrades

First and foremost, PLEASE DO NOT UPGRADE RIGHT AWAY. As always, please wait for IC to give the thumbs-up before upgrading to any new OS. 

Now that we have that out of the way... just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Apple has once again made their annual announcement regarding the next iterations of their operating systems; macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16. Although this announcement shouldn't come as any surprise, there are some exciting new features coming in both of these builds. Both Ventura and iPadOS16 introduce several new features and updates, including Passkeys, improved search capabilities for Photos and Spotlight, a neat window organizing tool called Stage Manager, and much more!

For a full list of features, check out Apple's preview pages.

macOS Ventura Preview

iPadOS 16 Preview

 

Universal Control on Mac and iPad

Speaking of cool new things that Apple rolls out annually, here's one that I haven't shared from the current OS iterations. Universal Control allows users to use your Mac's keyboard, trackpad, or mouse seamlessly on your iPad or even a secondary Mac. You can move the pointer between devices, type, and copy content from one device to the other. Trying to explain this super-slick feature in words alone doesn't do it justice. Seeing is believing on this one.

To get started, first make sure your devices meet the System Requirements for Universal Control. Once you confirm device compatibility, check out Apple's guide to using Universal Control.

 

 

Details

Details

Article ID: 151747
Created
Tue 10/11/22 11:00 AM
Modified
Wed 2/28/24 10:19 AM