OK I'm ready for an iCalendar, now what?

There are so many different types of calendars and devices to talk about and I am not an expert in all of them, so this time I will tell you a story about how I solved my calendar problems and then give you a few tips about how to export a calendar from one type of online calendar and import it into another.

If this does not answer your questions maybe the links below will help you. You can always go to Google and just type in your question. Most often a lot of links will show up with discussions from people who have had the same problem as you have and often there is a solution you can use.

Using the Calendar in iPhone
I started by using my iPhone Calendar regularly. All of my appointments were on my iPhone. Here is what I do.
1. Click on the Calendar icon on my Phone.

2. Find the date that I am wanting to put something onto. This has changed with OS 7.  Here are some screen shots of how I go through it.

• Click on Today in the bottom corner to get back to today's date. 
• 
• Click on the name of the month at the top of the page and scroll down to find the month that I want.
• Click on the calendar of the month that you are wanting.
• Click to choose a date that you want to put something on.
• 
  

• Click on the + at the top right side to add an event. 
• Fill out the event information (remember that there is more you can put in if you scroll down)
• Click on DONE on the top right when you are done.

The Event Details will appear. It will show what you have put in as well as which calendar it is on.

To Delete an event click on it and when the Event Details appear click EDIT on the top right side and scroll down until you see the red delete button. Click it and the event is gone.

Syncing that Calendar with the Google Calendar
Now that I had the events on my iPhone I wanted to be able to see them on my Google Calendar. I can get to a Google Calendar where ever I am, even without having my own computer. There were two things that I needed to do in order to make my events show up on Google Calendar.

1.  I followed the directions on this link: https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/151674 which made sure that my Calendar was set up correctly. I named the calendar that I wanted to sync "Google Calendar" and gave it a different color than other calendars so that I could see what was happening.

2.  I went back to the calendar on my iPhone and went to the appointments that I wanted to show up on the Google Calendar. I clicked on the event and on the event details looked to the part that told me which calendar it was on. Most of mine defaulted to HOME and had blue dots, so I clicked on the word HOME and switched it to Google Calendar.  When I changed the Calendar they began to show up on my Google Calendar on the computer.

Sharing Calendars with Other People
I thought it would be good to have my husband's events on my calendar so that I could keep up with what he was doing. In order to do that in Google

• On the computer open up and sign into your Google Calendar
• Click on the Gear on the top right side and slide down to the word SETTINGS
• Click on the tab at the top that says CALENDAR
• Click on the link under Sharing.

• Look for Share With Specific People.
• In that box type the names of the person you want to share your calendar with. 
• You can share your calendar with more than one person.

• They can opt to have your calendar show in a different color on their calendar or not to show. 

Finally, How to Export and Import your Calendar

This may help you if you want your events to go into a calendar that is not compatible with the Google calendar or another calendar that you have. Instead of using SAVE like you do with a document you choose EXPORT. 

EXPORT is usually found under the File Menu, but in Google Calendar it is in the settings.

This exports the file into a format that can be opened by most calendars. One of the formats that is used is .CSV It cannot be clicked on and opened up as a calendar (it may open, but will look like a mess or not open at all. What you need to do is to IMPORT it into another calendar program.

Open the other program and under file look for the word IMPORT. When you choose IMPORT a window opens like when you want to open a file. Find the file that you just EXPORTED and choose it. The calendar program will open it up and you should have all of your calendar items on the new calendar. 

This can also be done with your CONTACTS or ADDRESS BOOK. With most programs you can EXPORT your contacts and then IMPORT them into another address book program. 

IMPORTANT NOTE - This is not the same as syncing your calendar or address book. You are only moving over the things that were entered in the past. It will not continue to update as you update the old one. 

OTHER RESOURCES

Google Support

https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/151674?hl=en

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/3008051

About.com
http://email.about.com/od/googlecalendartips/qt/Sync_Google_Calendar_and_iPhone_Calendar.htm

Digital Trends
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/sync-multiple-google-calendars-on-iphone-or-ipad/

iPad: Transferring Docs to Mac and Back

Occasionally I have worked with people who have Pages both on their Mac and on their iPad. It only costs $9.99 to put Pages onto your iPad. I had version 8 when I started and was not able to transfer documents. You must upgrade to version 9 in order to transfer documents. When I did that it automatically upgraded the copy of Pages on my Mac. I didn't know it would do that, but it did!

The process for adding pages from your computer to your iPad follows:

• Go to iTunes on your computer. 
• Plug in your iPad.
• Select your iPad in iTunes and select the apps section at the top.
• Slide down the page until you see Pages under File Sharing and click on it.
  
  
  
• Click on Add at the bottom of the page.
• Find the document by following the path on your computer.
• When you click on it you will see it added to your list in the iTunes Pages list.
• Now go to Pages on your iPad. 
• Click on the + sign.
• 
  
• 
• Choose “copy from iTunes”
• When you see the document that you want to import to your iPad click on it and it will be added to your iPad. You must have iWork 09 on your computer or this will not work, even if you have iWork 09 on your iPad.

Here are the instructions about moving the files from Pages on the iPad to iTunes and finally saving them on your machine:

• Open up Pages on your iPad Select the document you want to move and open it.
• When the document is open click the wrench on the top right corner.
  
• A window will open. Choose “Share and Print”
• That will open a new list. Choose “Copy to iTunes”
• Now plug your iPad into your computer and choose which format you would like to transfer (pages, doc or pdf)
• When you choose the file will automatically be transferred to your computer.  In order to see it you have to open iTunes.
• Click on the Apps category at the top and slide down the whole page until you see Pages. 
• Click on Pages and a list of the documents that you have transferred will appear.
• Choose the document that you are interested in having on your computer and click “save to” at the bottom. 
  
• A window just like most save windows will open and show your folders on the computer.  Choose the one you want to save it to and click Save to.
• Now you will be able to open it up on your computer.

This is a lot of work to go through if you have lots of documents to transfer. You may want to consider using the cloud in order to keep your file system and import all of the files at once. Here are steps to do that:

• To Set up iCloud go to Settings on your iPad.
• Click on iCloud on the far left list.
• Sign in with your account.
• Use the sliders next to each of the apps to show what you would like to sync.
• Make sure that Documents and Data is turned on.
• Scroll down to Apps on the left side of the settings window and tap Pages
• Slide “use iCloud” to ON.

To put new folders on your iPad in Pages: 

First hold your finger on a document you want in a folder until it wiggles. Then drag this document on top of another one that you would like to have in a folder. A window will open up with Folder 1 as a name. You can type to replace the name with a new name.

 

I learned most of this from:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH3567?viewlocale=en_US

What is a Hashtag and what do I do with it?

WHAT IS A HASHTAG?

I often hear or see something telling me to look for hashtag "#selected word" for something that is happening on TV or that I am reading about. Hashtag is a compound word with hash meaning the symbol # and tag meaning a descriptive word or created for one event or person. For example if you are interested in information on the president you can search for #obama in Twitter or other programs that use hashtags and a list of people who have put #obama in what they wrote will appear. This is a way that you can see what others are saying about something right now even if they are not on your "friend" list. 

Several sites are set up to use Hashtags for searches. Twitter and Facebook are the most common, but they can also be used in Linked In, Instagram, Google+ and other sites.

HASHTAGS IN TWITTER

Flooding in Colorado
This weekend there has been lots of news about flooding in Colorado. I thought I would see what I could find out from Twitter about the flood. I went to Twitter and typed in #floods and got a whole list of tweets about the flood. As I was looking at them 9 more appeared and the newest  one was from only 5 minutes ago. Hashtags on Twitter, Facebook and other sites give you a chance to see what people are saying about an event right when it is happening! People include videos, photos and links to articles on their tweets, so it gives you a chance to see what other people are saying about it as well as to see videos that are very current.

Obama's Speech
I missed Obama's speech on Syria, so I thought that I would look up the hashtag #obamaspeech #Syria and see what information I could find. I found that I could look at what was said by the top "tweeters" or by all (everyone) or by people I follow. At the far right side of each tweet there is a number which tells me how long ago this tweet was made. When new ones appear they come in minutes (5m, 1h or a date like 11 Sep).



Using Hashtags during an event

A new type of communication is happening through Twitter now when several people from different locations are all doing the same thing and tweeting what they think or what they are learning as they experience it. They often use a hashtag so that all of the tweets on that topic are searchable and it is possible to find the discussion later. At a conference for teachers who use technology people had the tag #iste13 and tweeted about what they were learning. You might want to try the hashtag #emmys next week when the Prime Time TV Emmy Awards are going on. Watch the Emmy Awards on TV and tweet your thoughts as it is happening or go to Twitter and search for the #emmys and see what others are saying!

HASHTAGS IN FACEBOOK
I thought I would try out the #floods hashtag on Facebook to see what I got. The comments it brought up were more personal and contained links to some helpful sites. I then took a look at my own Facebook to see if anyone used hashtags and did not find any. So, I went to one of my friends who I thought might use them and finally found one. It was #ilovenetflix. It took me to a few comments about Netflix, but not much of interest. My conclusion is that it is being used on Facebook, but not as much as on Twitter. 

HASHTAG TRENDING
Trending is a way of measuring what is popular at the moment. If you look at the first page on Twitter there is a column on the left that says "trending" and lists hashtags. This is the list of the things that most people are tweeting about using hashtags. The hashtags.org website is a good way to go and learn more about this.
http://www.hashtags.org/
The definition that they give for hashtags:

 "The primary purpose of a hashtag is to bring conversations on the same topic into a single thread to make it convenient for information consumers to view and compare ideas."

What Shortcuts can help me with Windows 8?

Windows 8 has many shortcuts using the Windows Button which is on the lower left of the keyboard. 

Windows-x brings up a list of letters you can press to automatically make certain things happen. The list tells what it will do with the letter to use underlined.  

For example it says Programs and Features. If you press f it opens a window that lists the programs that are installed on the computer and allows you to add or remove programs. These letters only work if you have clicked Windows-x before pressing them and the list on the left bottom is open.

b - Opens the Mobility Center which is the place to change the brightness, sound rotation, etc... of your computer

o - Power Options - You can change your power settings to make your battery last longer. 

y - Opens the System. This is a very helpful one because it opens a window that will tell you all the basics about your computer like what Windows edition it is running, how much memory you have, etc... Often it is good to know where this information is when calling for computer help. 

m  - Disk Management - This is where you go to see how much memory you have on your computer and how it is partitioned (divided into different parts)  

t - Opens the Task Manager.  This lists what programs are running and will open even if the program that you are on is frozen. This is the way to force quit one program that has frozen so that you can use other things on your computer. 

p - Control Panel - This window is where you go to set up all sorts of things on your computer. Go here to correct your clock, set up family security, set up a printer, set up your network, and other tasks. 

e - Opens Windows Explorer. This is where you can see everything that is on your computer and easily move files from one place to another.

Windows-E Also opens Windows Explorer. Do not confuse this with Internet Explorer. Windows Explorer is a way to see what is on your computer.

Windows-P Brings up a side bar giving you choices about PROJECTING to a second screen.

Windows-F Brings up a lit of all of the FILES on your computer.

Windows-L LOCKS the computer so that you have to log in with your passsord to get in.

Windows-U Opens up the Ease of Use Center which includes ways that you can set your computer to be easier to see.  You can also start the narrator so that your computer reads aloud the text on the screen.

Windows-TAB Opens side bar with icons of the programs that you have open. This is a good way to switch between windows.

THE BEST TRICK FOR LAST

I was so glad to learn how easy it is to search on Windows 8. It has a very robust search engine which is context driven. That means that depending on what you have open on your desktop the computer searches for that particular area. For example if you are looking at your photos it will search the picture library. 

I always wanted to search when I needed a new app. I would open the STORE from my desktop. The store is devided into many different categories; Surface Pics, Games, Social, Entertainment and so on. It would take me forever to find what I was looking for and there didn't seem to be a Search feature. I was so happy when I learned that you just begin to type ANYTHING and the search engine opens up and gives you a list of items that match your request. 

I wanted to find a list of the free games I could download. When I typed free games while looking at the apps store the Search feature opened up and this is what it showed me. 

There were 1297 apps available. I could search through those or be more specific in my search. When I typed 'solitaire' there were only 142 apps!  "Angry Birds Free" gave me 27 game apps.

IN CLOSING

Clicking the Windows key with any number opens up a different program for each number. I will let you play with that and figure out how it works for you. 

There are a lot more shortcuts than I listed here. Here are a few links to other locations where you might find the one you are looking for!

50 Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts/

Windows list of various types of Shortcuts
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts

Printout of comprehensive list of Shortcuts
http://blogs.technet.com/b/matthew_starkie/archive/2012/11/21/windows-8-shortcut-keys.aspx

Using Outlook for eMail

Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about using Outlook, especially on a Mac. Below are some of the questions and my response.

I use two different email addresses.  How can I set them up to both send to my same Outlook account?

There are two ways to do this.

1. If you want to have two separate mail boxes which you open separately and that keep one account separate from the other you need to set up a second profile.  Here are the instructions for setting up a second profile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KbzzVjjn
   
   In this scenario your set up is almost like having two different email accounts. You read and send mail with one account and then switch and read and reply with the other account. You will always have the correct account in the from: area where people reply.
2. Another option is to have two email addresses that both send to the same mailbox. Here are the instructions for setting that up.
   
   Go to Tools>Account Settings in Outlook.  Click "new" and then add your second mail account. Now you have two different accounts that both have the same mailbox.

I have two different email addresses that both feed into my Outlook account. How can I reply to someone with the account I want to use with them?

When you send mail you will notice that below the send button is the word Account with an arrow. If you click the arrow it will give you a list of the accounts that are set up in your system. Choose the account you want to use for your reply and then click send.

You can change the default address for replying if you find that you are having to switch too often.  To do this look under the Tools menu for Account Settings or Email Accounts. You should see a list of which email accounts you have set up. Highlight the one you use most often and click "set as default".

How do I get my Outlook calendar to sync with my phone?

The main thing to realize is that your calendar is a part of your email set up and so when you set up your email you are also setting up your calendar. 

Windows Phone - Flick left to the app list, tap settings, tap email and accounts, tap Add an Account, Depending on your Version of Windows Phone choose Outlook or or Windows Live. Enter your Outlook. com address and password. Tap sign in. 

iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch - Go to Settings-Mail, Contacts, Calendar and choose HOTMAIL. Fill in your Outlook email and passwords. Choose what you want to sync and tap SAVE.

Other Phones - You will need to download an Android app. Go to this link and follow the directions. 

http://tinyurl.com/cobm3rq

Unfortunately this app has fairly poor reviews. Maybe it will be improved in the future. 

What is the difference between an Outlook Exchange account and Outlook that I have at home? 

Outlook Exchange is a set up of Outlook that is run from a server (a server is just a computer that can share everything through a network). The reason that employers like it is that it is a closed system that allows workers from the same company to interact and share among other workers in the same company easily and safely. As a user you do not see a lot of difference between Outlook Exchange and regular Outlook, which is what people use on a home computer.

 If you are using Outlook Exchange at work and you want to access information on a home computer you will need to talk with the System Administrator to get information about how to connect.

Can you explain Outlook Express and Outlook 365?

Outlook Express was a free version of Outlook which came with some versions of Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. It was meant for personal use rather than the more robust Outlook that was designed for offices. Right now you are encouraged to download Windows Live Mail instead if you want a free email client (program that works on your computer). 

Outlook 365 is a service with a monthly or annual fee. It uses Windows Sky Drive as an online server which saves all of your mail. Signing up gives you 20 Gigabytes of Sky Drive storage. It does allow you to install it on five machines, so it can be cost effective even though it is a subscription rather than a one time purchase.

If you have a Mac and want a shortcut to get to your Outlook mail the MailTab app for Outlook will do that. Here is a link to the app on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mailtab-for-outlook/id582581625?mt=12  

Here are links to some of the sites where I found the best information:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Outlook

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTSn_z3OrpM

Microsoft
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/what-is-a-microsoft-exchange-server-account-HA001230171.aspx

PC World
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026710/why-office-365-is-a-better-deal-than-office-2013.html

DISCLAIMER: I learned these things from looking them up on the Internet and have not experienced them. I use Gmail and the mail app on my iPhone and iPad. They work well and easily for me.