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10 Little-Known Google Docs Features

10 Little-Known Google Docs Features

by | Oct 13, 2021 | Cloud Services, Google

We’ll admit, we can’t take credit for finding these Google Docs features (as anyone could discover them, and someone did). We’re here to communicate it to you.

If you use Google Docs, you’re one of G-Suite’s 2,000,000,000 monthly active users.

However, you may not be using it to its full potential.

Here are 10 little-known features that will save you countless hours (so you can work faster):

CHECK OUT THESE GOOGLE DOCS FEATURES:

1. Need to create a new document?

Simply type docs.new in the browser.

When in need of a new Google Doc, open a fresh new document instantly:

  • Control + N on Windows (or Command + N on Mac)
  • Type docs.new
  • Start writing

See example…

ICS Data - Google Docs New Document

2. Have multiple Google accounts?

One of the most frustrating things with Google is switching between accounts. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you with some shortcuts:

Adding a number after the docs.new URL will create a new document under that account.

Here’s how it works:

  • docs.new/1 creates a new Google doc in your primary account
  • docs.new/2 creates a new Google doc in your secondary account

It’s mind-blowing stuff…

3. Also, this works for all G-Suite apps:

4. What happens if you’re not connected to the internet?

Make your doc available offline, and use it like Microsoft Word

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5. Tired of typing? Use voice.

Instead of tiring yourself typing and continually thinking of the next topic or idea, use Voice Typing.

To enable it, click Tools → Voice Typing.

It’s smart to outline your topic and thoughts prior to attempting to type.

6. Keep your word count while writing.

Jump over to Tools → Word Count (and check the box “Display word count while typing.”)

Now, it’s pinned to the bottom of your Google doc.

7. Working inside of a large Google doc?

It’s super easy to lose your spot in Google docs.

Keep organized with a table of contents so that you’ll never lose where you’re at.

Click Insert → Table of Contents

Now, you’ll always know where you’re at!

8. Looking to find where you left off in your previous Google Doc change?

When you’re finished with your Google doc session, highlight your last sentence and leave a comment.

Be strategic and write a note of where you’re currently at. But best of all, save your thoughts for the next day: as questions, answer them, and set yourself up for success.

Stay ahead of the game.

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9. Adjust access for collaborators

Access by File → Share

Access control is great if you need to share your Google doc with others.

10. Learn keyboard shortcuts to have full control over your Google docs

In order to keep yourself working fasters, you’ll want to master Google Docs’ shortcuts:

ICS Data - Google Docs
What You Need to Know About the Facebook Outage

What You Need to Know About the Facebook Outage

by | Oct 7, 2021 | Cyberattacks, Facebook, Hackers

A few days ago, there was an interesting series of events that caused a Facebook outage. According to Facebook Engineering, “their teams learned that configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between their data centers caused issues that interrupted this communication. This disruption to network traffic has a cascading effect on the way their data centers communicate, bringing their services to a halt.”

So, if you noticed that your Facebook and/or Instagram page was down on Monday, that’s the explanation as to why. In the same article, they provide an apology to “all of the people and businesses around the world that rely on them.” It’s a shame to see communications errors, but as we realize, they sometimes happen to even the largest of giants.

Let’s dive a little deeper into what exactly happened…

THE FACEBOOK OUTAGE EXPLAINED

As baffling as it seems, this did actually happen. Stacked Marketer mentions, “it could have been a deal of a century.”

Because Facebook-owned properties were offline, someone performed some DNS magic on Facebook.com causing it to appear “for sale” on many registrar websites. Twitter’s founder, Jack Dorsey, was one of the first to offer to buy the domain (see image to the right).

ICS Data - Jack Dorsey's Twitter Post About Facebook Outage

WHAT DOES THIS ALL ENTAIL?

It’s true, even the biggest tech companies in the world can have failures that cause catastrophe. That’s why it’s important to understand that live [hot] changes can affect outcomes at any stage of your technological process. Meaning, it’s better to test [stage] processes before doing anything to affect internal measures.

This Facebook outage cost Mark Zuckerberg billions of dollars. Now, we’re not saying that it could cost you that much, but you would lose time, money, and possible assets in the same situation.

Let’s talk today and see what other technical adventures we can help with.

The Ultimate Guide for Hiring a Virtual Chief Information Officer

The Ultimate Guide for Hiring a Virtual Chief Information Officer

by | Sep 3, 2021 | IT Services

As a top business decision-maker, not all decisions are within your control. One of them is technology. You have less say on which software or IT solutions are emerging, getting invented, or trending. However, businesses, especially SMEs, must keep up with this ever-changing technology landscape to remain afloat and competitive. But, maybe, as you might have discovered already, technology is expensive. So, how do you meander around such conditions to keep expenses lower without giving technology a blind eye? Opting for a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) could be the answer.

WHO IS A vCIO?

Traditionally, companies hired an internal Chief Information Officer to oversee their IT teams and technology strategy. Large enterprises still do. But this is because they have the financial muscle to pay for full-time CIO and IT support teams.

On the flip side, small-to-medium-sized businesses rely on less-qualified, or tech-savvy employees they think knows something about computers. That’s not only unsustainable, but also very risky, especially where confidential data or system security is involved. This is where a vCIO comes to the rescue.

A vCIO, sometimes referred to as vCIO, is a part-time employee or managed service provider company like ICS Data that offers IT Solutions at a fraction of the cost. vCIOs are backed by an array of experts who can offer 24/7 support and all technology solutions competitively. vCIO is less expensive than hiring a conventional CIO and can provide your business with complete services like formulating deliberate IT goals, IT budgeting, and facilitating technological changes (e.g., relocating data to the cloud).

WHY HIRING A vCIO MAKES SENSE

1. LESS COSTLY

To continue being profitable as you expand, you have to always look for ways to scale down your business’s expenses. Outsourcing IT services from a vCIO company ensures you get the same expertise of a CIO at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, you experience predictable costs, enabling effective risk management. This is because they charge at flat rates or monthly subscriptions, which is much cheaper and convenient for SMEs.

2. FLEXIBILITY

One of the key perks of a vCIO is that they offer the flexibility SMEs require. You only pay for what’s needed. Whether it is a data backup, security, or another facet of technology you require, you have all the freedom to choose what best suits you. This also provides the benefits of hiring when there is a need. For example, if you want to develop/acquire a new software/portal, the vCIO company will provide all the proficiency from their team to get the changes faster and at a much lower price. Then later, once the more significant part is done, you can keep the maintenance service at an even lower subscription rate.

ICS Data - vCIO

3. KNOWLEDGEABLE

A vCIO has a ton of experience and typically work in a number of different business environments. Meaning, they understand how they fit into your technology portfolio and they’re able to explain how, or if, new or differing technologies can improve an organization. They meet with their customers (on-hand / when needed) weekly, and are able to explain how technologies come into play when your demand calls for them.

vCIOs are extremely interpersonal and will make your IT solutions seem completely effortless. They streamline their solutions from A to Z, and serve as an extension of your team, keeping your IT goals in line with your businesses growth.

4. SUPPORT

An IT support company like ICS Data has a team of IT experts at its disposal. This means that you’ll not be dealing with just a single professional, but actually, it’s like having an entire IT team at a much lesser fee than it’d cost to build an in-house one. The results: 24/7 support, automatic updates, and security mitigation precautions to detect/prevent cybersecurity threats before they can cause havoc.

ICS DATA PROVIDES vCIO SERVICES

Our business exists so that yours can thrive in all matters of technology without a hassle. It has never been this easier to plan how to expand or ensure the business continues with our predictable pricing for services. At ICS Data, we believe in quick response time to ensure no situation ever escalates to unpleasant extremes. Whether it’s VoIP, security, cloud, or IT services, we promise a personalized and uniquely tailored solution to blend with what you have or stand for seamlessly. Contact us today to meet with our helpful vCIO specialists.

Can’t Connect to the Internet? Here’s How to Troubleshoot

Can’t Connect to the Internet? Here’s How to Troubleshoot

by | Aug 4, 2021 | Internet

In this era when home offices and hybrid workplaces have become the norm, things aren’t the same anymore. In the recent past, when working in-office mainly was the case, you could easily rely upon that tech-savvy colleague or even one of the company’s IT team members to fix your internet problems. But not any longer. Even so, your internet might go down when you’re in the middle of a vital video call or working on a critical business project. What do you do?

Well, studies reveal that a few minutes of internet downtime can cost businesses thousands of dollars, with Garner estimating this at $5,600 per minute. That’s a significant amount to throw over the bus just because of fixable problems. Clearly, you don’t need to be kind of a superhuman or a seasoned IT guy to fix some of these common issues with the internet. Therefore, we compiled these DIY tips to help you troubleshoot them stress-free, whether in the office or at home and connect to the internet.

1. CHECK YOUR WI-FI RANGE OR INTERNET CABLES?

The possibility is either you’re on a wireless or physical network. How each works is something you’d want to check first to be sure the connection protocols are correct. For instance, if you’re on Wi-Fi, be sure your site is within the coverage range. If you’re out of range or in a weakly covered area, that might be the culprit. Besides, you’d appreciate the importance of first checking that the Wi-Fi is ON by clicking the “internet icon” on the left side of the desktop taskbar or going to Settings >Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.

On the other hand, for physical connections, the LAN cable might be loose or damaged. Simple steps like tightening the cable on the port or swapping with a new one can get the job done.

2. CHECK THE FIREWALL SECURITY SETTINGS

In addition to the default windows defender firewall, most third-party antivirus programs also come with a firewall. If you have installed any of these 3rd party programs, the tug of war between it and the default one can cause the internet not to work. We recommend switching OFF firewall protection and observing whether the connection gets restored.

ICS Data - Can't Connect to the Internet

3. KNOWLEDGEABLE

When last time did your router get switched off or restarted? Most of us can’t trace. Just as computers caches data, the routers also do. Over time, this becomes a hindrance to smooth connectivity and network communication. Reboot your router and watch as the magic happens. However, if this trick fails you a couple of times or needs to be done more often than usual, contacting IT support is a great path to take.

4. RESTART YOUR MACHINE

This rule never grows old. And in this case, it may come in handy. The computer’s OS might be overwhelmed by processes, causing the internet to slow or not connect. Rebooting ends these operations and ensures all cached data is deleted to start things afresh. To restart, press Alt+F4 > choose restart in the dropdown menu or simply go to Start >Power >Restart.

5. CHECK WITH YOUR ISP (INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER)

The internet service provider (ISP) determines quite a lot when it comes to internet connectivity. Check that your subscription is up to date and/or you’re not violating any of the provider’s ToS like downloading illegal materials or mail spamming. In addition, you might also be using more than the allocated bandwidth. This all may be qualifying you for blocking by the ISP. Get in touch with yours if you suspect such or when you can’t precisely pinpoint where the problem is.

NOTHING IS WORKING? GET AN IT EXPERT.

When all the above seems like punching a concrete wall, seeking expert advice/services can save you money, time, and stress. Experienced IT experts at ICS Data are ready to help avoid the negative impacts of internet downtime by responding swiftly and attending to the issue with the professionalism and seriousness it deserves. Get in touch with this helpful team today or book a free onsite consultation.

Apple Security Recommendations: Pay Close Attention to Your Passwords

Apple Security Recommendations: Pay Close Attention to Your Passwords

by | Jul 12, 2021 | Passwords

WHY THE BIG SHIFT IN PRIVACY?

Ever so recently, Apple decided to one up its counterparts and become the secure technology company that its users know and trust.

It’s not just a corporate ideal or a marketing point anymore, it’s now a big initiative across Apple distinguishing its products from competition, specifically it’s user passwords.

But how can they make such drastic changes without hearing uproar?

They take a consumer first approach, as they always have.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has mentioned that, “privacy is one of the top issues of the century” and that it’s important to put “deep thinking” into that to figure out how to “leave something for the next generation that is a lot better than the current situation.”

UNDERSTAND YOUR RISK OF COMPROMISED PASSWORDS

Apple iOS Keychain stores your saved passwords on your [Apple] devices. It has more of your personal information than maybe any other device that you own.

Coming into 2021, one of the most interesting and innovative ideas Apple has had put out is a way to monitor whether or not your current passwords (for any software tool, bank account, favorite store, etc.) have been involved in a data breach (which could lead to any type of cyberattack), if you use the same passwords over and over again on different sites, they warn you that it increases the risk to the current account if one of those other accounts is compromised, and if your password can be easily guessed.

We’ve had to find solutions for our clients who have had their passwords stolen and/or data leaked. It’s not something you want to be involved with. It can mean paying a ransom, or even going into dark and scary places.

The risk involved is the loss of money, assets, or even personal identity. As a leader of your business, it’s important for you to understand this risk.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

Just as Apple is a people-first technology company, we take same exact approach for your business. We know that you or your company’s privacy is extremely important – and we have options that keep you protected from any outside danger, no matter the circumstance.

Cyber threats become more intelligent every day, and our main approach is to understand:

  • How you work
  • Your most critical applications
  • What data is most sensitive
  • Plans you have for your organization

Once we have a larger picture view, we’ll take a look inside your company to see how we can take next steps that lead to a more secure business. Contact us today!

ICS Data - Apple Security Recommendations