Know Your Android: Finding A Download

an iphone with the word hello written on it

With recent technology, downloading files is as easy as tapping a button or touching a screen. Regardless of the file, everything you download is accessible straight from your smartphone. With the introduction of Cloud Software, sharing and transferring files has never been simpler. No need to worry about buying a new memory card or running out of space.

For both the savvy and the amateur, downloading files is a breeze. Media can be stored in seconds. But where do those files go when we download them? How do we locate them in the future?

Exploring Files

Every phone comes with its own series of files and folders. Android users can locate media via the My Files (also known as File Manager) app. For many users, this app looks like a little yellow folder or a white icon with six dots. To locate it, go ahead and open up your app drawer—the little window that stores all your apps. Don’t see My Files anywhere? Go ahead and download it from the Google Play store. Once inside the My Files app, a simple swipe should locate your desired folder in the menu. From there, transfer files to allocated albums or create brand new ones for future access. 

Download Notifications

For active downloads, Android users can locate their files via pop-up notifications on their home screen. Saved files will open with a simple tap, granting quick access to fresh downloads.

Mobile Browsers

Mobile browsers have their own tabs that you can use to access previous downloads. For example, Google Chrome’s menu enables users to locate or re-download previous files. This is especially useful for reclaiming deleted files. Chrome downloads can be located by clicking on the three vertical dots and opening the menu. 

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4 Tips for Being More Productive With Chromebooks

an open laptop computer sitting on top of a table

Although Chromebooks is not nearly as powerful and not nearly as widespread as Windows or Mac machines are, it is still a worthy competitor.

More and more people, including schools and businesses, are using Chromebooks and are benefiting from their lightweight style, quick startup, and simplicity. Here are four tips for using Chromebooks for work and for being more productive while doing so.

Use Android Apps

The newer Chromebooks come pre-installed with Google Play, and some older Chromebooks can get it through an update. There are many Android apps that you can use to increase your productivity. Until now, you only had Google Docs to write in. Now you can download the Microsoft Word app or an alternative like WPS Office. You can also download useful apps such as Evernote, Skype for Business, and even Metatrader 4.

Use Chromebooks Offline

Although Chromebooks are primarily designed to be used with an internet connection, they can definitely be used offline as well. Google Docs can be made to sync offline so that you can use it without wifi and have all changes synced when you get back online. You can also sync your Google Drive storage to be used offline. Again, Android apps will come in handy offline as well.

Split Screens

Chromebooks usually have smaller screens, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have more than one window open at once. You can resize windows just as you can on Windows devices. You can drag tabs to open them in a new window if you need to compare two things side by side. Apps can be opened over Chrome. Pro tip: To quickly split a window so that it appears only on the right-hand or left-hand side of the screen, click Alt + [ or Alt + ].

Use Voice Typing

Getting carpal tunnel syndrome? Google Docs has a voice typing feature that lets you speak into a microphone and have your voice converted into text. Of course, make sure to proofread your work.

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Momentum: Customize Your Home Screen

a black background with a chrome logo

Chrome Logo

Do you love beautiful computer screen wallpapers? Do you want to organize your workday efficiently straight from your computer screen? Our computer tip of the day will teach you how to do just that. We are talking about a Google Chrome extension called Momentum.

Momentum replaces your Google Chrome home screen with a beautiful new background each day. The images are usually stunning captures of nature. Your local time will be displayed in the center of the screen, along with a short message — “Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, [Your Name Goes Here]. What Is Your Focus For Today?”. You can then write in your main focus in the space provided, which will help you stay focused on your main task for the day. If you wish, you can turn off the focus message.

On the bottom of your screen, a new motivational quote will appear each day. You can remove this feature if you wish.

On the bottom-right side, you will be able to add tasks to a list. Each task comes with a checkbox that you can check when you complete it. You can expand the list, minimize it, or remove this feature altogether.

You can add your favorite links to the top-left corner, along with a search bar that lets you search the web using Google. Your local weather will appear in the top-right corner.

If you enjoy a particular background or quote, you can favorite it and save it. You can also create a Momentum account so that you can sync different computers.

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