Puzzlebrains

As you all know, I am pretty rubbish with computers, and have had very little formal training. So if someone shows me something cool I didn't know about, I thought it would be quite nice to share it, in case anyone else didn't know that either. My thought is, this thread doesn't have to just be computer-related, but anything you learn that you think would deserve a wider audience.

I do realise that most of you are computer whizz kids, but just in case...

Microsoft One Note.
Has anyone ever used this? I didn't even realise it existed until yesterday, and someone showed me something really cool. If you want to copy just a little bit of a website, but not the whole screen (like MBH showed us how to do), this is great.

Go onto Microsoft Office - Microsoft One Note. Then file - new page. Then insert - screen clipping. The page will disappear, and any webpage you have open will go opaque. Click on the screen, and drag out a rectangle around the bit you are interested in, whilst holding the mouse button down. As soon as you release it, the bit you selected is plonked on the page. It struck me that this would be brilliant for clipping relevant bits of maps, or text that you were working on.

Yes, I know I'm teaching most of you to suck eggs, but I thought that was very useful.

That does sound interesting, not sure if I have Microsoft One Note. I had heard of it but had no idea that is what it is used for.

Need to do some investigation I guess.

Never hear of it

This borrowed unit has full Office 2003 and there's no sign of it here.

Aparently it is on my laptop.

Well I've found One Note on my laptop..... think this might help with something I was trying the other day....need to explore some more..... thanks Bunny!!

if anyone has windows 7
start button > all programs > accessories >
"snipping tools"

does the same thing basically

but one note is a bit more advanced

and if you really want one note
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/onenote/
includes a free trial

Looking at it a bit more it seems you can also write anywhere on the page (rather than in lines) so you could annotate things, it also has drawing tools, like paint brushes so you can write all over it easily. Thinking about it this might be quite useful for puzzle solving!!

I really must get into the 21st century. The first thing I do when book arrives is to print out all puzzles and put them in a folder along with pencil, rubber and paper. I then pull one out and start work. Usually not getting very far. My other problem is I am now addicted to my iPad and tend to use it for emails and browsing but haven't ventured into word processing or spreadsheets. Really must learn but will try one note on my old pc.

Thanks for this Bunny - have been having some fun trying One Note out today....

Oh my! An *actual* real-world use for One Note by *real people*
Wonders will never cease!

Actually it's been really useful today. Stupid son (who is currently in the library at uni unable to print things because the librarian has disappeared) needed to fill out a form which has been e mailed to him, sign it and return it to a letting agent today before he loses a nice flat rental (yay*!). He's copied it onto one note, and signed it with the drawing tool then forwarded it back.

*Not that I'm looking forward to having food back in my fridge and about 6 tons of washing less a week. No, not at all.

Snoopy wrote: My other problem is I am now addicted to my iPad and tend to use it for emails and browsing but haven't ventured into word processing or spreadsheets. Really must learn but will try one note on my old pc.

is this where i mention the one note app for the ipad?

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsof ... 95246?mt=8

looking at the reviews its not as good as they expected

Do you need a stylus to draw with it? If I try to do a signature with my mouse using paint it looks as though a 3 year-old has been on my computer!
I haven't looked for/tried One Note yet I admit but I am intrigued by this.

Dibble's writing already looks like a 5 year old's writing, so I don't think that would make any difference... Funny think, writing. In our family, mine is quite scrawly and can be hard to read (I clearly should have been a doctor!), OH's neat BLOCK CAPITALS AT ALL TIMES, Dibble like a 5 year old and K immaculate, beautiful cursive style. I'd love to set a handwriting analyst on us!! Oh, and talking of which, this was really odd. A woman who had the same name as my mother, from Australia, wrote to her because she had decided to write to all the people in the world she could find with that name. But the really scary thing was that the Australian lady had IDENTICAL writing to my Mum. How weird is that??

No mine really does look more like a 3 year-old than a 5 year-old! So do you need a stylus?

I always assumed that how your writing turned out depended quite a bit on who taught you. Relatives from the same generation as my mother have quite similar styles but I think there was a much more uniform approach to teaching writing back in those days.

I don't know if you CAN use a stylus (it was he who did it whilst in London, I was here!!) you might be able to - I can't pretend to be any kind of expert having only just found this programme on Thursday!! I do think that does depend on how often you waste time doing drawing type things on computers. I just use my laptop fingerpad thingy, not a mouse, and can do things quite accurately. For example, for the Shadow Puppet of Bima silhouettes puzzle I drew the pictures on paint just with my untrained finger!!!

Wow! Then you are vastly more skilled than I am. I have been trying on paint with my finger pad and the results are not impressive!

OK, as a follow on from this conversation, I have just learned something new again. I've just gone through a description of how to basically analyse your handwriting. If you want to try this, you need to write half a page or so of writing before you read it, on unlined paper. http://www.squidoo.com/analyze-your-handwriting

This is what it appears to say about mine...

Highly successful. (Snort!!)

They have a lot of vitality and their emotional experiences last for a long time.

Optimism (I always think I'm a really grumpy old bag, but there you go!!)

Easily distracted. They have trouble concentrating and easily get "off-track." At work, these individuals should be given varying duties and assignments that are quick to complete. (Guilty)

Goals set lower than what can be accomplished. (Are they saying lazy? True.)

Strong sense of humour. (Debatable, see comments about grumpiness above.)

Good with their hands. ( What are they trying to say here?? )

Responds strongly to emotional situations. They are caring, warm and outgoing-- their heart rules their mind.

Optimism and higher energy. (Clearly they don't realise that I am still sat here in my nightie at 12:10pm??)

An artistic and non standard approach. (Do you think they are calling me odd??)

Bunnylump wrote: (Do you think they are calling me odd??)

its not them calling you odd

On a very different note, I have learned something over the past few days.

If anyone gives you a set of figures ring the company concerned and get someone different (but from the same company) to double check them. I did this with one of Colin's pension packs just before he put his acceptance of the quote into the post. The result was an extra £1500 lump sum and an increased weekly sum!!! Colin would have simply taken the printed paper quote as being final. I have no idea why I thought differently but I'm glad I did. That's not fair play in my book.