Recently, I noticed a new option in my Chrome Canary menu on my desktop running Windows 7: Relaunch in Chrome OS Mode. Clicking it does exactly what you would expect. It shuts down your current version of Chrome and relaunches but as if you are using the Chrome Operating System. This is still listed as experimental and is not yet in Chrome Beta let alone Chrome stable.
So, why would anyone be interested in this feature? Well, if you have a Chromebook, you could get your Chromebook experience and sync while at work or using Windows 7.
Additionally, if you're interested in getting a Chromebook but not sure about using Chrome OS, this gives you a chance to test drive it for a while before making up your mind. If you were looking to set up a decent solo office on the cheap, this could be a possibility.
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Showing posts with label windows 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label windows 7. Show all posts
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
GET A TASKBAR ON YOUR SECOND MONITOR
I'm back after a short break following the birth of my son. Everyone is healthy, and I'm excited to be back to blogging.
Unfortunately, your taskbar in Windows 7 will only show on your main monitor. If you have a program open on the secondary monitor, when you minimize it, it will show on the taskbar on the main monitor. Personally, I find this behavior annoying, as I would prefer to have a taskbar on both monitors.
Fortunately, there is a free solution to this problem: Dual Monitor Taskbar. This open source project will display a start button, taskbar, and notification area. It even includes the show desktop button. You can set it to auto-hide, just like the regular task bar. You can also set it to appear on any edge of the screen, even if it is not the same edge as the main taskbar.
I have become so accustomed to using Dual Monitor Taskbar that I forget that it is not a part of the standard Windows 7 set up until I use someone else's computer. If you have Windows 7, I highly recommend installing this free program.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
SAVE TIME BY PINNING TO THE TASK BAR
One of the great features of Windows 7 is in the task bar. You can easily "pin" programs you use regularly to the task bar. I've found the simplest way to do this is to have your program open, right click on it in the task bar, and click "pin this program to task bar".
As I regularly use Word 2010, Chrome, and Windows Explorer. They are always pinned to my task bar.
Once you've pinned a program to the task bar, you can right click on it, and it will show a list of the recent files you've opened within that program. So, by right clicking on my Word 2010 icon, I get a list of the last ten files I've opened.
It seems we often open the same files and templates regularly. With Windows 7, you can also "pin" a file you use regularly (or any file) to the list of recent files so that they always show up at the top of the list.
To do this, just open the file you want to have pinned to the top of the list. Right click on the Word icon in the task bar, and it will probably appear at the top of the recent files list. To the right of the file name will be a picture of a pin. Click on this pin, and the file will now always appear at the top of your list.
By pinning frequently opened programs to the task bar and frequently used files to the program list, you can save a lot of time. It is much simpler to right click on the task bar and select the regularly used file than to go through the start button or windows explorer every time.
As I regularly use Word 2010, Chrome, and Windows Explorer. They are always pinned to my task bar.
Once you've pinned a program to the task bar, you can right click on it, and it will show a list of the recent files you've opened within that program. So, by right clicking on my Word 2010 icon, I get a list of the last ten files I've opened.
It seems we often open the same files and templates regularly. With Windows 7, you can also "pin" a file you use regularly (or any file) to the list of recent files so that they always show up at the top of the list.
To do this, just open the file you want to have pinned to the top of the list. Right click on the Word icon in the task bar, and it will probably appear at the top of the recent files list. To the right of the file name will be a picture of a pin. Click on this pin, and the file will now always appear at the top of your list.
By pinning frequently opened programs to the task bar and frequently used files to the program list, you can save a lot of time. It is much simpler to right click on the task bar and select the regularly used file than to go through the start button or windows explorer every time.
Monday, October 7, 2013
WINDOWS 7'S BUILT-IN DICTATION MACHINE
I had to take a brief break from this blog due to vacation and a couple of emergency issues; however, I'm now back and ready to go with some more useful tech tips for lawyers.
Today's tip deals with how to turn your Windows 7 computer into a dictation machine without buying extra software. When I first started practicing in a medium sized law firm, I regularly dictated into a micro-cassette recorder and a secretary would transcribe everything for me. Where I'm at now, such a system is impractical. And while I can type quickly, I have found that my best work is still done through dictation.
Windows 7 comes with a program called "Windows Speech Recognition" already installed. It can be found in the "Ease of Access" folder, which is located in the "Accessories" folder. Go purchase a decent headset microphone, hook up to your computer, and open this program.
There will be a simple setup wizard you need to complete. And there are additional training options you can go through to both learn how to use the program and to help it to better understand what you say.
Then, you will be able to talk to your computer and let it transcribe what you say. Is it perfect? No, but that's what proofreading is for. I've found that it does a decent job, and while not as refined as commercial programs like Dragon Dictate, it can still be effective.
I do have a couple of tips for using it. First, get a decent microphone. The better quality microphone, the more clearly the program will hear and understand what you're saying, which will increase its accuracy. Second, if you are like me, you will need to talk a little bit slower and enunciate clearly. Lastly, I'd recommend doing the extra training. The more the computer hears you talk, the better able it is to understand what you are saying and not make the same mistakes in the future.
Today's tip deals with how to turn your Windows 7 computer into a dictation machine without buying extra software. When I first started practicing in a medium sized law firm, I regularly dictated into a micro-cassette recorder and a secretary would transcribe everything for me. Where I'm at now, such a system is impractical. And while I can type quickly, I have found that my best work is still done through dictation.
Windows 7 comes with a program called "Windows Speech Recognition" already installed. It can be found in the "Ease of Access" folder, which is located in the "Accessories" folder. Go purchase a decent headset microphone, hook up to your computer, and open this program.
There will be a simple setup wizard you need to complete. And there are additional training options you can go through to both learn how to use the program and to help it to better understand what you say.
Then, you will be able to talk to your computer and let it transcribe what you say. Is it perfect? No, but that's what proofreading is for. I've found that it does a decent job, and while not as refined as commercial programs like Dragon Dictate, it can still be effective.
I do have a couple of tips for using it. First, get a decent microphone. The better quality microphone, the more clearly the program will hear and understand what you're saying, which will increase its accuracy. Second, if you are like me, you will need to talk a little bit slower and enunciate clearly. Lastly, I'd recommend doing the extra training. The more the computer hears you talk, the better able it is to understand what you are saying and not make the same mistakes in the future.
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