Ask Computer Dean

09/01/2026

Welcoming the month of September!!!

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #291

📅 Tuesday, September 1, 2026

⌨️ STOP TYPING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER!

How many times have you typed your:

📧 Email address
🏠 Mailing address
📱 Phone number
💬 Common greeting or reply
📝 Frequently used phrase

Your phone can type these for you using a short abbreviation!

For example, I could create:

“myem” → “[email protected]”

Type just myem, and your phone offers or inserts the entire email address.

🍎 iPHONE

Go to:

Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement

Tap +, enter the full phrase, then create a short abbreviation.

🤖 ANDROID / SAMSUNG

Depending on your keyboard, this may be called Text Shortcuts, Personal Dictionary, or a similar feature.

On many Samsung phones:

Settings → General management → Samsung Keyboard settings → Text shortcuts

Add your shortcut and the phrase you want it to produce.

⚠️ ONE IMPORTANT RULE

Don't create shortcuts for passwords, PINs, banking information or other sensitive information.

Use them for ordinary things you type frequently.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:

TYPE LESS. LET YOUR PHONE TYPE MORE!

A few minutes creating shortcuts today can save you hundreds of keystrokes later.

09/01/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #290

📅 Monday, August 31, 2026

🖱️ COMPUTER SLOW? DON'T KEEP CLICKING!

We've all done it. 😄

You click something and… nothing happens.

So you click again.

And again.

And maybe five more times! 🖱️🖱️🖱️

Unfortunately, repeatedly clicking usually doesn't make a slow computer respond faster. In some situations, you're simply giving it even more things to process.

If your computer suddenly seems sluggish:

⏳ Give it a few seconds. It may simply be busy opening a large file or program.

🖱️ Don't repeatedly click the same button or icon.

💾 If you were working on something important and the program becomes responsive again, SAVE your work.

🔄 If the whole computer remains unusually slow, a Restart may clear the problem.

⚠️ And if you're frequently seeing freezes or long delays, don't just accept it as “an old computer.” There may be a reason—low storage, too many startup programs, insufficient memory, software problems or even failing hardware.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:

One click… then give your computer a chance to answer!

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a slow computer is simply STOP CLICKING. 😄

08/30/2026

My cousin Kini passed away yesterday morning, he was also in the IT field. May his soul rest in peace.

08/30/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — WEEKEND TIPS #288 & #289

📅 Saturday & Sunday • August 29–30, 2026

📱 TWO LITTLE PHONE TRICKS YOU MAY NOT KNOW!

Your smartphone has dozens of useful features hiding in plain sight. Here are two worth learning this weekend!

#288 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
⌨️ MADE A TYPO? TURN YOUR SPACEBAR INTO A TRACKPAD!

Trying to put the cursor exactly between two letters can be frustrating—especially on a small screen.

Instead of repeatedly tapping at the text:

📱 iPhone: Press and hold the spacebar until the keyboard letters fade, then slide your finger around to precisely position the cursor.

🤖 Android: Many keyboards, including Gboard, also let you slide across the spacebar to move the cursor. Features can vary depending on your keyboard.

This makes correcting a typo in a text, email or document much easier.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Don't fight with that tiny cursor—use your SPACEBAR!

#289 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
🔦 NEED A FLASHLIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO UNLOCK YOUR PHONE!

Dropped something beside the car? Looking behind the couch? Trying to find the keyhole in the dark?

Your phone's flashlight is usually available without unlocking the phone first.

🍎 iPhone: Press and hold the Flashlight button on the Lock Screen, or open Control Center.

🤖 Android/Samsung: Swipe down from the top to access Quick Settings, then tap Flashlight/Torch. Availability from the locked screen can vary by device and settings.

And remember: your phone's flashlight is surprisingly bright, so don't shine it directly into someone's eyes.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Need some light? Your phone is already a flashlight!

08/29/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #287

📅 Friday, August 28, 2026

🍎 APPLE USERS — TIME FOR AN UPDATE CHECK!

Using a Mac, iPhone or iPad? Take a minute today and make sure your Apple devices are current.

As of today, Apple lists:

💻 Mac: macOS Tahoe 26.6.2
📱 iPhone: iOS 26.6.1
📱 iPad: iPadOS 26.6.1

These aren't updates you should ignore simply because your device seems to be working fine. The recent releases include important security fixes.

🔍 HOW TO CHECK

iPhone / iPad:
⚙️ Settings → General → Software Update

Mac:
🍎 Apple Menu → System Settings → General → Software Update

Before a major operating-system upgrade, I recommend making sure you have a current backup, adequate free storage and—especially on business computers—compatibility with important applications and peripherals.

And here's another setting worth checking: newer Apple operating systems support Background Security Improvements, which can deliver certain security protections between regular software updates. Apple recommends keeping Automatically Install enabled.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Don't wait for something to go wrong before checking for updates. A few taps today can help keep your Apple devices secure tomorrow.

08/27/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #286

📅 Thursday, August 27, 2026

🖥️ CAN’T FIND YOUR WINDOW? TRY ALT + TAB!

Ever have several programs open and suddenly wonder:

“Where did that window go?” 😄

Before minimizing everything or clicking around the taskbar, learn this handy keyboard shortcut:

🪟 Windows: Alt + Tab
🍎 Mac: Command (⌘) + Tab

Hold Alt (or Command on Mac) and tap Tab to quickly move between your open applications.

On Windows, Alt + Tab gives you previews of open windows, making it especially handy when you're working with several documents, browser windows or programs at once.

When is it useful?

💻 Switching between Word and your browser
📧 Jumping from email to another program
📁 Moving between File Explorer and an application
📋 Copying information from one program into another
🔎 Finding that window you know is open somewhere!

Once this shortcut becomes a habit, you'll wonder why you spent so much time hunting around with the mouse.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Don't hunt for your open programs—SWITCH to them!

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #285
📅 Wednesday, August 26, 2026

📱 BEFORE YOU HAND SOMEONE YOUR PHONE… LOCK IT TO ONE APP!

Ever hand your phone to someone to show them one photo, only to wonder whether they'll accidentally swipe into your other pictures? 😄

Or perhaps you're letting a child watch a video or use a game, but you don't want them wandering into your messages, email or other apps.

Your smartphone has tools designed for this.

🍎 iPhone — Guided Access

Go to:

Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access

Turn it on and set a passcode. Guided Access can temporarily keep your iPhone restricted to a single app.

🤖 Android — App Pinning

On many Android phones, look under your security settings for App Pinning or Pin App. Once enabled, you can keep a particular app on screen until it's unpinned.

The exact location can vary depending on the Android manufacturer and version.

This is handy when:

📸 Showing someone photos
👶 Letting a child use your phone
🎮 Lending someone a game
🎥 Showing a video
📱 Temporarily handing your phone to another person

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:

Sharing your PHONE doesn't have to mean sharing EVERYTHING on it!

Lock them into the app you intended to share.

08/25/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #284
📅 Tuesday, August 25, 2026

🔌 WHICH POWER ADAPTER BELONGS TO WHAT?

Open almost any household drawer and you'll probably find a collection of mysterious power adapters and chargers.

And eventually someone asks:

“What does THIS one belong to?” 😄

Here's a ridiculously simple solution:

🏷️ LABEL IT NOW!

When you buy or install a new device, put a small label on its power adapter or cable:

ROUTER
EXTERNAL DRIVE
LAPTOP
MONITOR
PRINTER
CAMERA

For devices using USB-C, you may also want to mark the charger's wattage, especially when you have several adapters that look almost identical.

And when you retire or sell a device, you'll immediately know which power supply goes with it.

⚠️ Don't assume that two adapters with plugs that physically fit are interchangeable. Devices can require different voltage, polarity and power specifications. When in doubt, check the original adapter or manufacturer's specifications.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Two seconds with a label today can prevent a mystery charger drawer tomorrow!

08/25/2026

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN — TIP OF THE DAY #283
📅 Monday, August 24, 2026

📧 WRONG EMAIL? YOU MAY HAVE A FEW SECONDS!

Ever clicked Send and immediately thought:

“OH NO! I forgot the attachment!” 😱

Or perhaps you sent it to the wrong person, spotted a typo, or changed your mind.

Some email services provide an Undo Send feature that gives you a short window to stop or recall the send action.

📧 Gmail: After sending, watch for the Undo option that briefly appears. Gmail also lets you adjust the cancellation period in Settings.

🍎 Apple Mail: Newer versions of Mail on Apple devices can offer Undo Send for a short period after sending.

📨 Outlook: Depending on which Outlook version/account you're using, an Undo Send or related recall option may be available—but don't assume every sent message can be retrieved.

The important habit?

After clicking SEND, don't immediately look away!

Watch the screen for a few seconds. If you suddenly realize something is wrong, UNDO may still save you.

💡 ASK COMPUTER DEAN TIP:
Sent it too soon? Look for UNDO before you panic!