13 Computer Tips Everyone Should Know

The world of computers and the internet is enormous and complex, but as big as it is – it is also filled with tricks and shortcuts you can take to get what you want. These tricks will save you time and frustration, transforming your experience into a much more enjoyable one.

1. Repeat and Download YouTube Videos

YouTube is the world’s most popular website for video sharing, and almost everyone uses it for various reasons: From watching cute cat videos, tutorials on how to do almost anything, to watching full-length documentaries. However, sometimes you find a video you really want to save or listen to non-stop, and these two tips will help with that.

To download videos from YouTube, go to this website:en.savefrom.net/1-how-to-download-youtube-video/ and place the YouTube page address in the search bar. Now you can save the video to your computer by clicking the green “download” button.

If you found a piece of music you’d like to listen to over and over again, change the link from youtube to listenonrepeat.

2. YouTube Shortcuts

The good people at YouTube added some keyboard shortcuts to make using their site easier.

You can stop and start a video by using the spacebar or the K key.
You can skip 10 seconds back or forward by using the J and L keys.
You can play the video in full-screen by using the F key.

3. Find Your Smartphone

We hear many stories about people who lost their device or had it stolen, and this simple trick is a true lifesaver in such cases. Thanks to modern technology, locating your phone only takes a few moments and a couple of steps that can be performed on every computer.

Android users: go to google.com and type in the search bar Find My Phone. If your phone is powered up and has reception, you’ll see its location on the map. At this point, you can lock it, make it ring non-stop for 5 minutes, or even erase the data if you must.
iPhone users: Apple has a similar solution to Google’s, called Find My iPhone, which works through their service – the iCloud. You activate the service through Apple’s website. Apple offers similar tools, such as playing sounds, locking the device, or even erasing your data.

4. Quickly Erase Text

You may be able to type fast, but can you quickly delete as well? This handy little trick does just that – instead of deleting one character at a time, you can delete whole words. All you need to do is keep the Ctrl key down, and at the same time press the Backspace key.

5. Quick Access to the Browser’s Address Bar

Need to type in a new web address but can’t find your mouse pointer for some reason? Look at the top line of keys on your keyboard, and locate the F6 key. Pressing this key will allow you to delete the current address and input a new one instead.

6. The “Secret” Key

The Windows key on your keyboard can be used to access various functions on your computer quickly.

7. Reopen Closed Tab

Modern Internet browsers allow us to open multiple tabs to switch between websites with ease, but sometimes we accidentally close a tab we didn’t mean to, and even worse – are not sure which tab it was. The solution is very simple, but many people are just not aware of it: Hold theCtrl + Shift + T keys and it will reopen the last tab you closed. This can be repeated for older tabs.

8. Pin a Tab

If you are worried that you might close a tab, you can “pin” it, which will make the ‘x’ that closes the tab disappear. To pin a tab, right-click on it, then select “pin tab”. To close the tab, right-click on it and select “Unpin tab”.

9. Check How Secured a Website is

If you don’t trust a website, fearing it may be a malicious site, you can ask Google to check its level of safety. First, copy this line: http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=(site address), and replace the (site address) with the actual site you wish to test’s address.

10. Not Sure How to Pronounce a Word?

A great, free service that Google offers is Google Translate. Other than translating back and forth from various languages, it can also read you the word (or even sentence) aloud, so you can hear the correct pronunciation.

11. Go to Space!

You probably know about Google Earth – Google’s global mapping service that lets you see a satellite image of anywhere on Earth. Well, now there’s also Google Sky – a service that lets you see as much of the known universe as possible. Click here to visit the site.

12. Quickly Go to a Website

Did you know that when you enter a website’s address, you don’t have to type the whole thing in? Modern web browsers don’t need the whole address (example: http://www.google.com), it’s enough just to input the name, and add a .com at the end (example: google.com). Another shortcut is to type in just the name and press Ctrl + Enter, which will automatically add the www and the .com.

13. Use Google as a Timer

Many people don’t know it, but you can use Google as a timer. If you’re worried that your cake will get burnt or that you’ll miss your favorite TV show, go to the Google website and search for the word “timer”. You’ll get a box where you can input however much time you need. If you want even more Google tips and tricks, click here.

20 Great Shortcuts Using the Windows Key

Our Keyboard has many necessary keys, which we mainly know and use on a regular basis, but there are some other special combinations that can save us time and make life easier when using the computer. One of the most useful, yet often ignored, keys is the “Windows” key. It is directly related to the Windows operating system functions and when used in combination with certain other keys – it turns even the most non-computer-friendly person into a computer whiz!

What is this “Windows” key?

This key is almost always between the Alt and Ctrl keys.

Different manufacturers change the way the key looks from time to time, but the general theme is as presented below:

Windows 7 / Vista Key Combos
	This combo will minimize any program that’s currently running and return you to the main desktop.
	This combo loads the Windows “Search” feature – allowing you to search for files and programs on your computer.
	Holding this combo down will allow you to switch between open windows in a visual manner and with ease.
	This will lock your computer, bringing it to the password login window. (This is especially useful if you have cats or kids who like to play with the keyboard when you leave your desk)
	This combo launches the Media Player – allowing you to watch movies and play music.
...	This combo will open a corresponding window that’s currently running in the taskbar.
	Maximize the window to fill the screen.
	Restore window to its original size or minimize it to the taskbar.
	Fits the window to the right half of the screen, allowing you to work on 2 windows at the same time.
	Same as above, only it will fit the window to the left half of the screen.
OR	If you use more than one screen – this combo will move the active window to the other screen.
OR	If you have a hard time reading what’s on the screen, this combo will launch the magnifying glass feature.
	Minimizes all active windows, except for the one you’re currently using

Combos added in Windows 8 & 8.1
	This combo opens the right hand side options menu.
	This combo launches the quick-link menu.
	Switch input language - similar to the Alt+Shift combo, but it will also let you know which language was chosen.
	Takes a screenshot and saves it to your “Pictures” directory.
	Launch the Windows Accessibility Center – Here you can adjust settings like the size of the fonts, etc.