Subheading: internet
I remember watching the first real-time transfer of vast amounts of data between a field station computer in Puerto Rico and my lab computer in Massachusetts, and commenting that our collective sense of Time was in the process of a radical shift.
Because when something proves repeatable, the initially miraculous becomes the generally expected, doesn't it? And in my lifetime I can't think of anywhere that has been more in-our-face apparent than with computers, first, and then in a exponential expansion, with the internet.
But I still treasure the discoveries that make routine things a little bit more efficient. Or just easier. And even if I'm very late to the party, my discoveries are still exciting (to me) and that is why I share them. Because even if it's probable that Everyone already knows these things...maybe they don't?
So here are two tiny things that make my computer time a bit more pleasant and efficient. First: the option to Close All Tabs To The Right. I often have a dozen or more tabs open on my laptop, usually because of sites like Etsy that automatically open every click in a new tab. Or blogs that have a lot of links I want to look at, but only after I've finished reading the blog, so I open each one in a new tab while I continue reading, and then visit all those tabs. Anyway, I recently discovered that right-clicking in any Tab - in the actual tab - offers the option of closing ALL the tabs to the right of the one I'm clicking. Does it save much time? Well, it saves a little. And that clean sweep is very satisfying.
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| Right-clicked in the jigsaw tab; bottom selection in the drop-down menu. This is Chrome, but the option is also in Edge and Foxfire, so I'm guessing it's widely available. |
Here's my second discovery. I use YouTube a lot these days. For entertainment but also for recipes, for DIY tutorials, and for reviews when I'm considering buying something (most recently a hose nozzle that Does Not Drip, and that search continues so please recommend your favorite). Anyway, some videos on YouTube are good but a bit long/slow, or have frustratingly poor production values, or contain way more repetitious detail than I need. So I play them at 1.25 speed. Or even 1.5 speed. Does it save much time? Yes. And it makes many videos a lot more watchable, at least for me.
I've set my audiobook playback speed based on narrator, for many years. But it took me a long time to think, "I wish YouTube had this option." Then it took me an additional 5 seconds to think, "I'll bet YouTube does have this option." Boom.
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| Click the Settings gear at the bottom of the screen, hit the Playback Speed arrow, and choose. |
