How can you tell the difference between a real IT pro and everyone else? It’s not how they dress, talk, or even if they triumph in our new Game of Thrones quiz. No, the real test is whether they have a collection of special IT hacks that ordinary non-techie mortals find baffling, magical and mysterious.
And that brings us to August’s poll question: what is your favorite IT hack? Here are some possibilities:
- Typing =rand() in MS Word to instantly get a few paragraphs of sample text.
- Setting up an automatic shutdown timer in Windows by typing Windows Key+R followed by shutdown – s -t.
- Searching YouTube directly from your Chrome browser by typing Youtube.com+tab in the address bar (also works with Netflix and Amazon).
- Using a pair of headphones as a microphone by plugging them into the microphone jack of a desktop or laptop (seriously — it works!).
- Texting mobile devices through email.
- Turning Google into a countdown timer or stopwatch by typing start a timer into the search box.
These are just some of the many, many IT hacks out there. Please share your best, or if you have a few favorites, then please share them all. You’ll help your fellow IT pros and hopefully learn a few new tricks to make you even more awesome.
You Could Win!
Simply by participating in our poll, you’ll automatically be entered for the chance to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards. You could buy all kinds of geeky gifts, like a really cool set of retro floppy disk silicone drink coasters.
We’ll highlight some of the most interesting IT hacks and reveal the lucky winners in early September. Thanks in advance for your contributions! (PS: if you want to scroll up, you can press shift+space bar ??)