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The most useful iPhone and iPad keyboard shortcuts

<p>It’s time to give your tired thumbs a break.</p> <p>With keyboard shortcuts on iPhones and iPads, you can save time when typing messages to your family, friends and colleagues.</p> <p>Changing your keyboard’s settings is simple and quick, even for the least tech-savvy users.</p> <p>Here’s how to set up and customise text shortcuts on your iPhone and iPad keyboards – and the handiest shortcuts to try.</p> <p><strong>What are keyboard shortcuts?</strong></p> <p><span>Keyboard shortcuts are text replacement tools for the busy iPhone or iPad owner. </span></p> <p><span>Similar to how autocorrect works for spelling, a shortcut automatically replaces any brief abbreviation with a longer word or phrase as you type. </span></p> <p><span>Just customise your shortcuts in the Settings app to start using them. </span></p> <p><span>Not only does this feature speed up your texting time, but it can also save you from accidental or embarrassing typos.</span></p> <p><strong>How to create keyboard shortcuts </strong></p> <p><span>To make a new shortcut, launch the Settings app  – &gt; General  – &gt; Keyboard  – &gt; Text Replacement and choose the “+” symbol in the top right corner. </span></p> <p><span>Enter the abbreviation you’d like to use in the “Shortcut” field, and then type in the entire phrase you want it to be replaced with in the “Phrase” field. </span></p> <p><span>Tap “Save” at the top right once you’re done. </span></p> <p><span>N</span><span>ow when you type that abbreviation and tap the space bar, it will be replaced with the phrase you saved in the settings. </span></p> <p><span>Pro tip: To stop your phone from autocorrecting certain words by mistake (“lick” instead of “luck,” for example), fill in the “Phrase” field with the word and leave the “Shortcut” field blank. These 40 iPhone tricks will make your life easier, too.</span></p> <p><strong>How to edit and customise keyboard shortcuts</strong></p> <p><span>If you find yourself typing a shortcut by accident or one of your shortcuts has a typo, there’s an easy fix. </span></p> <p><span>Edit and customise any shortcut by going to the Settings app  – &gt; General  – &gt; Keyboard  – &gt; Text Replacement. Select the shortcut you want to edit, type in the new phrase, and hit “Save.”</span></p> <p><strong>How to delete keyboard shortcuts</strong></p> <p><span>No longer using a keyboard shortcut? You can get rid of it with a swipe of your finger. </span></p> <p><span>In the Settings app, hit General  – &gt; Keyboard  – &gt; Text Replacement, and swipe left on the shortcut you want to delete. </span></p> <p><span>Then tap on the “Delete” button to make the shortcut disappear. </span></p> <p><span>This trick is also good to know if pranksters ever get a hold of your phone and secretly change your shortcuts.</span></p> <p><strong>Most useful iPad and iPhone keyboard shortcuts </strong></p> <p>Thanks to text shortcuts for iPhones, you can communicate fast while out and about.</p> <p>If you are constantly running late, try the shortcut “OMW” to say “On my way,” or “FMIN” to say “I’ll be there in five minutes.”</p> <p>Personal information that you often share, like your email address, phone number, and home address, can be programmed to appear when you type EML, PHN, or ADDR, respectively.</p> <p>You can also create your own abbreviations for names or places that you frequently type or text, such as a favourite restaurant or your child’s school. Consider adding any words you often misspell or mistype, like “should” rather than “shoukd,” as well.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/the-most-useful-iphone-and-ipad-keyboard-shortcuts" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Technology

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“That is not activism”: Barack Obama quick to call out keyboard warriors

<p>Barack Obama spoke at the Obama Foundation’s annual summit in Chicago and spoke about the state of politics and activism within the US as well as the ‘woke’ culture that continues to grow in the world of politics.</p> <p>Being ‘woke’ means being aware or attentive to injustices in society and some people use being ‘woke’ to ‘cancel’ people who do things wrong, whether that be spelling mistakes in tweets or using the wrong word to describe something.</p> <p>The former US President was quizzed and got passionate about those who are ‘politically woke’.</p> <p>“This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re politically woke, and all that stuff — you should get over that quickly,” he said, according to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/barack-obama-says-politically-woke-should-get-over-themselves/news-story/3500ce14ebfaaa2d4674556e2fcc1769" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p>“The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting with may love their kids and share certain things with you.”</p> <p>He was also quick to mention the issue with young people thinking that they can spark change by pointing out spelling mistakes.</p> <p>“One danger I see among young people particularly on college campuses is that I do get a sense among certain young people, and this is accelerated by social media, that the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people and that’s enough,” Mr Obama said.</p> <p>“Like if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right, or used the wrong verb, then I consider that I can feel pretty good about myself because, ‘man did you see how woke I was, I called you out’,” Mr Obama said, prompting laughter in the crowd.</p> <p>“That is not activism, that is not bringing about change.</p> <p>“If all you’re doing is casting stones, you are probably not going to get that far.”</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7832154/obama-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/836c492da6f6498a9ce70d8c9f5decf0" /></p> <p>Former first lady Michelle Obama also spoke about the US’s problems with racism.</p> <p>“Families like ours — upstanding families like ours who were doing everything we were supposed to do and better — as we moved in, white folks moved out because they were afraid of what our families represented,” she said.</p> <p>“I always stop there when I talk about this out in the world because I want to remind white folks, ya’ll were running from us. This family. This family with all the values you read about, you were running from us.</p> <p>“And you still running, because we’re no different from the immigrant families that are moving in. the families that are coming from other places to try to do better.”</p> <p>“I can’t make people not afraid of black people,” she said.</p> <p>“But maybe if I show up every day as a human, a good human, maybe that work will pick away at the scabs of your discrimination.”</p>

News

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Why do we have a QWERTY keyboard?

<p><em>"Why are the letters on the keyboard not in alphabetical order??" – Baker, age 9, Arrowtown, New Zealand.</em></p> <p>Great question! That question really puzzled me when I was a kid. And so as a grown-up, I decided to research it and write a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002073738480070X">paper</a> about it.</p> <p>Let’s turn the clock back. About 150 years ago, all letters and business papers were written by hand. Most likely they were written using a pen that had to be dipped in ink every word or two. Writing was slow and messy.</p> <p>Then some clever inventors built a machine for typing. The first typewriters were big heavy metal machines that worked a bit like a piano.</p> <p>Have you ever seen the inside of a real piano? You press a key and some clever levers make a felt hammer hit just the right piano string to make a note.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlcZ7WGRbJw?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="caption">Inside a piano.</span></em></p> <p>Early typewriters were similar. They had all these levers with a metal alphabet letter at the end of it. You had to press a letter key quite hard to make the metal lever fly across and hit the paper. Hit the A key and the A lever would hit the paper and type A. The paper then shifted a bit to the left, so the next key would hit in just the right place next to the A. Press more keys and you could type a word, or even a whole book.</p> <p>The first machine had the letter keys in alphabetical order. The trouble was that if you hit two keys quickly the levers would jam. Jams were most likely when the two keys were close together on the keyboard. Rearranging the letters could reduce jams.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WEyCINkkR-Q?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="caption">Rearranging the letters reduced the risk that two levers would jam.</span></em></p> <p><a href="http://www.typewritermuseum.org/history/inventors_sholes.html">Christopher Sholes</a> was an American inventor who was most successful in reducing jams. He tried various arrangements, always trying to reduce the need to type two keys that were close together. The best arrangement he could find was similar to the QWERTY keyboard we all use today. (Look at the top row of a keyboard to see why it’s called QWERTY.)</p> <p>He sold his invention to the Remington Company in the United States. In the 1870s, that company built and sold the first commercially successful typewriters. They used the QWERTY keyboard.</p> <p>For 100 years or so after the Remington typewriter arrived, vast numbers of people all over the world <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wgu5hnrAnI">trained to become touch typists</a> (meaning they could type even without looking much at the keyboard). They were employed to type letters and all other kinds of things for business and government. Because so many people became so skilled at using QWERTY, it became very difficult to get everyone to change to any other key arrangement.</p> <p>Many other key arrangements have been tried. Some are claimed to be easier to learn or faster to use than QWERTY. But none has proved good enough to beat QWERTY. It seems that we are stuck with this layout, even if jams are no longer a problem.</p> <p>QWERTY was developed for the English language. Some other languages use variations. For example, AZERTY is commonly used for French, QWERTZ for German, and QZERTY for Italian. Perhaps you can find someone from India, Thailand, Japan, Korea, or China. Ask them to show you the keyboard they use in their language.</p> <p><strong>You’ll never regret being able to touch type</strong></p> <p>Now, on any keyboard, feel the F and J keys carefully and find some tiny bumps. Place your first fingers on those keys, and your other fingers along the same row. Your left fingers should be on ASDF and your right on JKL;. These are called the “home keys”.</p> <p>Keep your fingers resting lightly on the home keys. Type other letters by moving just one finger up or down and perhaps a little sideways. Learn how to do that quickly, without watching your fingers, and you can touch type!</p> <p>When I was a teenager, I owned a typewriter. I made a cardboard shield to stop me seeing my fingers as I typed. I used clothes pegs to fix it to the typewriter. Then I found a touch-typing book and started to practise, making sure that I kept my fingers on the home keys and always used the correct finger to type each letter. After lots of practice, I could touch type. I love being able to touch type. It has helped me all my life, first as a student, then in everything I have done since.</p> <p>Now with computers it’s easier than ever to learn to touch type, even if QWERTY at first seems strange. There’s lots of good software to help (your school may have some), some of it feeling like a game.</p> <p>Find software that you like, and put in some practice. It may seem hard at first, but persist and you will soon get good at it. Find a friend or two and do it together. Perhaps make it a competition. You’ll never regret being able to touch type.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Geoff Cumming, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-we-have-a-qwerty-keyboard-instead-of-putting-the-letters-in-alphabetical-order-116069"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Mind

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The iPhone keyboard has had a mouse this whole time

<p>If you have an iPhone with 3D Touch capability (i.e. the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, 7, or 7 Plus), you’re in luck. Editing text on your phone just got a whole lot easier with this new hidden feature.</p> <p>When you’re typing away and look back on your message to see that you’ve made a mistake, your instinct is probably to tap the screen where you want to edit, or press and hold to create the magnifier tool and edit from there. But sometimes your finger gets right in the way of what you’re trying to edit, so you can’t fully see where the cursor is going, or it doesn’t register your click correctly.</p> <p>Luckily, Apple has remedied this issue with its latest batch of iPhones. Your keyboard now doubles as a mousepad, making edits easier and more precise than the tapping or magnifying manoeuvers.</p> <p>To activate the hidden mousepad, press firmly on any key until all of the keys turn blank and you feel a light tap on your finger from the screen, also known as the taptic feature. This turns the keyboard into a mousepad and your finger into the mouse.</p> <p>The keyboard tracks your fingers movement, making the cursor on the screen smaller and easier to navigate. It also solves the issue of blocking your edits with your finger, since it stays on the mousepad the whole time. </p> <p>You can also select groups of text with this feature for bulkier editing. First, make sure the trackpad is activated. Then ease the pressure your finger is applying to the screen without letting go, and press again firmly to activate the highlighter and move your finger to select what you want to edit.</p> <p>This new feature definitely takes some getting used to, as it is incredibly responsive to how much pressure you apply and much faster and more accurate than the old “tapping” methods. But once you get the hang of the iPhone’s handy new editing tool, you’ll be typing away all day with ease.</p> <p>Did you know about this secret mouse? Let us know in the comments!</p> <p><em>Written by Shannon Donohue. </em>This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/home-tips/iphone-keyboard-has-had-mouse-whole-time">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Technology

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Why keyboard warriors should be wary

<p><em><strong>Michael Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Western Australia, examines the legal risks of online defamation.</strong></em></p> <p>Having suffered some terrible product or service, there is something darkly satisfying about publishing a scathing online review. This may not be virtuous or kind, but it can be cathartic. However, if your online review is disparaging of a person’s reputation, that person could sue you for defamation.</p> <p><strong>The rise of the keyboard warriors</strong></p> <p>Keyboard warriors like me have benefited from an explosion in the number of review <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.choice.com.au/" target="_blank">websites</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foursquare-city-guide/id306934924?mt=8" target="_blank">apps</a></strong></span> in recent years. These cover everything from <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.zomato.com/" target="_blank">food</a></strong></span>, to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/" target="_blank">travel</a></strong></span>, to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/doctor-rating-sites-fundamentally-flawed" target="_blank">medical professionals</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Platforms like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/wa/WADC/2015/126.html" target="_blank">Facebook</a></strong></span> and Google make it very easy to leave a scathing online review. Mobile technology enables customers to vent, or compliment, even while they are still in the store.</p> <p>Review websites keep consumers informed while letting the market know what works and what does not. In extreme cases, consumer reviews can even move corporate giants to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/eas-day-of-reckoning-is-here-after-star-wars-game-uproar.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>change their policie</strong></span>s</a>.</p> <p>For those on the other side of the equation, online reviews can be terrifying. I know from experience – anonymous student evaluations are part and parcel of being a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://au.ratemyteachers.com/" target="_blank">university lecturer</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Bad reviews can be <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/owner-yelp-is-bad-for-small-business-2013-4?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank">disastrous</a></strong></span> for small businesses. Understandably, some reviewees will be motivated to silence negative reviewers. In extreme cases, they may even go to court.</p> <p><strong>You can be sued for a scathing review</strong></p> <p>In Australia, freedom of speech is not as free as some might think – even when “spoken” on the internet. Although we have an <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.humanrights.gov.au/freedom-information-opinion-and-expression" target="_blank">implied freedom of political communication in our constitution</a></strong></span>, we do not have a US-style right to free speech. Defamation law places significant limitations on our freedom of speech.</p> <p>Courts have the power to force a person to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321306294_Douglas_M_2017_The_exorbitant_injunction_in_X_v_Twitter_Communications_Law_Bulletin" target="_blank">remove content from the internet</a></strong></span>, or pay damages to the plaintiff for harm done to their reputation. Failure to comply could mean <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/blogger-shane-dowling-jailed-for-contempt-for-naming-tim-worners-alleged-lovers-20170810-gxt4px.html" target="_blank">prosecution for contempt</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Professional reputation is highly valued by defamation law. Damages can be significant if defamation causes an actual loss of business, or even a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/rebel-wilsons-4-5-million-win-a-sobering-reminder-that-defaming-a-celebrity-can-be-costly-83968" target="_blank">loss of opportunity</a></strong></span>. In the absence of proven economic loss, substantial “general” damages may still be awarded as a consolation for <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/hockeys-defamation-win-is-dark-news-for-democracy-and-free-speech-44129" target="_blank">hurt and distress</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>When defamation occurs online, damages awards may increase to account for the “<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2811967" target="_blank">grapevine effect</a></strong></span>”: the way salacious content tends to be shared and repeated on the internet.</p> <p>However, there are a couple of barriers that could make it harder to sue.</p> <p>Firstly, some “persons” cannot sue. Under Australia’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/da200599/s9.html" target="_blank">uniform defamation laws</a></strong></span>, certain corporate bodies – that is, companies – do not have a cause of action in defamation. Unlike overseas, large companies <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/jun/04/foodanddrink.shopping" target="_blank">like McDonald’s</a></strong></span> can’t sue under Australian defamation law, but this does not apply to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/54a6364e3004de94513d916a" target="_blank">not-for-profits</a></strong></span>, or small businesses with 10 employees or less. Hotheads should proceed with caution before slagging off their corner café.</p> <p>Secondly, a review must identify a person directly or indirectly in order for someone to be able to sue for defamation. A generic Facebook rant about “how bad restaurants are in blah suburb” will not meet the requirements of “identification”.</p> <p>These barriers are not insurmountable. In 2014, a group of restaurateurs were awarded more than <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/former-reviewer-matthew-evans-who-cost-fairfax-600000-has-turned-to-farming-and-television/news-story/3698276fa706f7f382a33cc2f5759c90" target="_blank">A$600,000 in damages for a defamatory review in The Sydney Morning Herald</a></strong></span>. Fairfax stood by the critic who made the harsh review, which remained online for years. While the average rant on Zomato won’t cause a restaurant to close down, this case illustrates that an expression of opinion about a business can have very serious consequences.</p> <p><strong>What to do if you’re sued</strong></p> <p>Take it seriously. See a lawyer.</p> <p>In 2017, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-surgeon-munjed-al-muderis-awarded-480k-over-online-defamation-by-patient-20170608-gwn17a.html" target="_blank">Sydney surgeon Munjed Al Muderis was awarded A$480,000 damages</a></strong></span> for a defamatory online campaign of abusive reviews by a former patient and the patient’s brother. There was no evidence of any medical negligence or wrongdoing, and the size of the damages award was partly attributable to the poor conduct of the defendants – <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5936545fe4b074a7c6e1657a" target="_blank">they failed to participate in the proceedings</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Having been served with a defamation claim, a lawyer may advise that you’re protected by defences to defamation. For example, a defence is available if your review is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www7.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/da200599/s25.html" target="_blank">substantially true</a></strong></span>; or if you have expressed an <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www7.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/da200599/s31.html" target="_blank">honest opinion</a></strong></span> on a matter of public interest, and your opinion is based on proper material.</p> <p>These defences might allow you to defend a trial, but they will not necessarily prevent you from being sued. They also come with practical challenges: for example, the reviewer, rather than reviewee, must prove the substantial truth of the publication. While your lawyer is dealing with those challenges, you will be dealing with your lawyer’s bills. Defending defamation is expensive, even if you win.</p> <p><strong>What if your review was anonymous?</strong></p> <p>Not all review platforms require you to disclose your identity. A recent example is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.ratemyboss.org.au/" target="_blank">Rate My Boss</a></strong></em></span>, a website created by union United Voice, which allows workers to review their employers anonymously. Anonymity makes sense from the workers’ perspective.</p> <p>From the employers’ perspective, the anonymity problem may be avoided by pursuing the publishers of the website rather than the reviewer. This is the standard model for a lot of defamation litigation; media organisations will often defend defamation on behalf of their writers.</p> <p>A disgruntled reviewee may go one step further and go after the internet giants that link people to defamatory content. These intermediaries have much deeper pockets and the practical ability to prevent something from being accessed. Whether Google should be responsible as “publisher” of its search engine content is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SydLRev/2017/24.html" target="_blank">about to be tested</a></strong></span> in the High Court.</p> <p>As for you, the reviewer: if you have been particularly nasty in an anonymous review, the reviewee may litigate to find out who you are. It may be tricky, but a would-be plaintiff has options: a couple of years ago, movie pirates were <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/piracy/dallas-buyers-club-war-with-iinet-downloaders-finally-comes-to-an-end/news-story/a51ba7091b090be07a559a3cab8ad7f1" target="_blank">threatened with the prospect of a court order</a></strong></span> compelling iiNet to reveal their identities in a copyright dispute. The context is different, but the anxiety felt by those Matthew McConaughey fans demonstrates that online naughtiness is not as anonymous as we might think.</p> <p><strong>Play nice and none of this matters</strong></p> <p>If you play the ball, not the man; if you focus on what you actually experience, rather than making grandiose claims; and if you focus on the truthful aspects of a product or service in a harsh but fair review, you are less likely to fall afoul of defamation law.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Have you ever left a scathing review online?</p> <p><em>Written by Michael Douglas. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.<img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92595/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></em></p>

Legal

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5 keyboard shortcuts that will change your life

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a></span>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. In this piece, she reveal five simple keyboard shortcuts that will change the way you use your computer.</strong></em></p> <p>I love keyboard shortcuts! Knowing keyboard shortcuts can really help you work efficiently as you can use the keyboard instead of the mouse.</p> <p>Here are five useful keyboard shortcuts that will change your life!</p> <p><strong>1. Close a tab in an internet browser</strong></p> <p>Quickly close unwanted pages/tabs in your browser</p> <p><strong>WINDOWS:</strong> Press Ctrl + W</p> <p><strong>MAC:</strong> Press Command + W</p> <p><strong>2. Reopen a closed tab in a browser</strong></p> <p>Accidentally closed a page/tab in your browser, and need to get back to where you were?</p> <p><strong>WINDOWS:</strong> Press Ctrl + Shift + T</p> <p><strong>MAC:</strong> Press Command + Shift + T</p> <p><strong>3. To delete one word at a time</strong></p> <p>Written text, and want to delete one word at a time?</p> <p><strong>WINDOWS:</strong> Press Ctrl + Backspace</p> <p><strong>MAC:</strong> Press Option + Delete</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37369/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (326)"/></p> <p><strong>4. Select words</strong></p> <p>Need to highlight words without using your mouse or trackpad?</p> <p><strong>WINDOWS:</strong> Press Shift + Ctrl + Left or Right Arrow Keys</p> <p><strong>MAC:</strong> Press Shift + Left arrow to select one letter at a time, or Command + Shift + Left arrow to select the entire sentence</p> <p><strong>5. Bold, italicise or underline</strong></p> <p>Now that you've selected the words, you can quickly bold, italicise or underline the words</p> <p><strong>WINDOWS:</strong> Press Ctrl + B (bolding), Ctrl + I (Italicising), Ctrl + U (Underlining)</p> <p><strong>MAC:</strong> Press Command + B (bolding), Command + I (Italicising), Command + U (Underlining)</p> <p>What are your go-to keyboard shortcuts? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

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How to unlock secret iPhone emoticon keyboard

<p>While emojis (cartoon pictures) seem to get the most attention these days, emoticons (symbols) are still popular with many users. If you have an iPhone, you can unlock a secret keyboard that saves you from typing out your favourite emoticon. The keyboard features 100 emoticons.</p> <p>Here's how you do it:</p> <p>1. Open Settings</p> <p>2. Tap on General and then Keyboards.</p> <p>3. In the Keyboards options, tap on Keyboards (it sounds confusing but that's the process).</p> <p>4. Tap Add New Keyboard and then scroll down to Japanese.</p> <p>5. Choose Kana.</p> <p>6. You can now access the keyboard when you are writing anything on your iPhone. To do this, tap the globe icon (next to 123) on your keyboard and then tap the kana characters.</p> <p>7. The last step to choose this key ^-^ which will show all the emoticons.</p> <p><em>First appeared on <strong><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></a></strong>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/01/myths-about-facebook/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 myths about Facebook busted</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/01/great-tip-for-using-youtube/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">YouTube tips you didn’t know</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/01/how-to-spot-fake-apple-products/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to spot fake Apple products</span></em></strong></a></p>

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10 computer shortcuts to save you time

<p>These keyboard shortcuts will speed up your productivity and save you time on the computer.</p> <p><strong>1. Copy text</strong></p> <p>This will copy any text that you have highlighted or selected.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + C</p> <p>Mac: Command + C</p> <p><strong>2. Paste text</strong></p> <p>This will paste the highlighted text or selected item you copied.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + V</p> <p>Mac: Command + V</p> <p><strong>3. Cut text</strong></p> <p>Unlike copying text, cutting text will mean the highlighted text or selected item will be “cut” and reappear where you paste it.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + X</p> <p>Mac: Command + X</p> <p><strong>4. Undo</strong></p> <p>Use this shortcut to undo your last action. So if you accidentally deleted a work or cut something you were meant to copy, pressing this will undo it.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + Z</p> <p>Mac: Command + Z</p> <p><strong>5. Print preview</strong></p> <p>If you want to print the current document or internet page you’re on simply press this. It will open the print window.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + P</p> <p>Mac: Command + P</p> <p><strong>6. Select everything</strong></p> <p>This will highlight everything in a folder or document to be quickly deleted or to be copied over.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + A</p> <p>Mac: Command + A</p> <p><strong>7. Switch between programs</strong></p> <p>To quickly switch between open programs on your computer (for example, between a web browser and a word document), simply press this:</p> <p>PC: CTRL + Tab or Alt Tab</p> <p>Mac: Command + Tab</p> <p><strong>8. Go directly to the start or end of document</strong></p> <p>This will take you straight to the top or bottom of a document or web page.</p> <p>PC: CTRL + Home (to move cursor to the beginning) and CTRL + End (to move to the end of document.)</p> <p>Mac: Command + upwards arrow (to move to the top) and Command + downwards arrow (to move to the bottom.)</p> <p><strong>9. Show desktop</strong></p> <p>If you have lots of programs and windows open on your computer and you want to quickly access your desktop, use this shortcut.</p> <p>PC: Windows key + D</p> <p>Mac: F11 </p> <p><strong>10. Take a screenshot</strong></p> <p>Capture what’s on your screen with this shortcut.</p> <p>PC: Print Screen button</p> <p>Mac: Command + Shift + 3</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2015/12/top-tips-and-tricks-for-using-skype/">Top tips and tricks for using Skype</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2015/12/google-write-emails-for-you/">Google can now write email replies for you</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2015/12/ways-to-make-facebook-safer/">4 tips to make your Facebook safer</a></em></strong></span></p>

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