Posts Tagged ‘Video’
One of the cool things about Windows 8 is this: if you have the right hardware, you can kiss your mouse goodbye. The new Windows OS is specifically designed to take advantage of all the benefits of a Touch interface. While the OS still lets you use and keyboard and mouse if you wish, let’s take a look at how Windows 8 helps you use your Touch interface effectively.
Lost without a mouse? Can’t get around in Windows without right clicking? Fret not — right clicking is as simple as tapping on an app on the screen and flicking downward to display the App commands bar.
With Windows 8, you can do much more with your Touch enabled device. Want to zoom in or out? Pinch together your fingers on the screen, or stretch them apart. Want to see previously used Apps? Swipe from the left edge of the screen. Want to close an App? Swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom.
If you read our previous blog posts on Windows 8 (here and here), you know that we have been preparing for this for a while now. Check out our third Windows 8 “Two Minute Miracle” video, “Touch 101,” in the Do It Yourself section of our website for more tips on using Touch in Windows 8. There you will also find a series of other helpful Windows 8 “Two Minute Miracle” videos with tips and walkthroughs to help make your transition to Windows 8 an easy one.
Agent Ron has been battling the forces of unruly technology run amok since 2001, prior to Geek Squad’s acquisition of Best Buy. When not busy creating video & technical training content for Geek Squad Agents in the field, Agent Ron enjoys home brewing, international travel, and learning how to cook new cuisines.
Summer time is nearly upon us, the hot sun & blue skies bringing thoughts of road adventures. When such urges beckoned in the past, our forefathers would hitch a team of oxen to their covered Conestoga wagon, make sure they had plenty of spare axles, and hit the trail. Of course, such journeys took months, with the only excitement being river crossings, dealing with bandits or other attacks, and occasional bison stampedes.
These days we’re a little better prepared to deal with long hours in a moving vehicle. Hazards on the modern highway are easily dealt with, it is difficult to get lost, food is delivered to us in disposable cardboard boxes, and the long miles of our journey can be eased with a variety of modern entertainments.
Even with the entire country mapped out for us, it can be easy to get lost. Fortunately, technology can help get us back on track. Many of today’s smartphones have GPS functionality, alerting one to such important destinations as gas stations, rest stops, and dining areas. Even if one doesn’t have a smartphone, a car can easily be fitted in-dash with any of a number of GPS devices by our expert Autotech Agents!
Let’s face it – the worst road trip we’ve ever had probably didn’t involve dysentery. (And if it did, we’re guessing you have bigger problems on your hands.) But hours spent suffering in a stuffy vehicle with screaming children and bored adults can be its own special form of hardship. Ease your burdens by making your vehicle into a modern home away from home – with all the comforts of a fast and reliable internet connection. Mobile hotspots let you carry the internet with you (no cords, no problem). Your passengers will be able to play online games, watch YouTube videos, check their email and stay up-to-date with their Facebook friends with minimal interruptions.
In the past, all we had were pencils and paints to capture the kitchy-ness of a roadside attraction, or the majesty of an untamed vista. Today, the sky is the limit. Let your passengers direct the story of your journey by equipping them with an arsenal of digital media equipment. A “shoot and share” camcorder like the Kodak Playsport ZX5 is a durable movie-making companion, while allowing you to download (and edit) the videos on any laptop, and the Samsung WB150 Smart Camera with built in Wifi (or even any digital camera with an Eye-Fi card loaded) lets you upload pictures of your journey to the web as fast as you can take them.
Last on this list, but first in our hearts — please remember that safety is paramount when embarking upon your epic journey. Stop frequently, hydrate, and always let your copilot take responsibility for cell phones, logistics, navigation, and other two-handed activities. Eyes on the road, traveler, and bring a driving buddy if you want a turn playing Oregon Trail on your smartphone.
Safety is also important for your technology! Dust, heat, exposure, and accidents can all contribute to a broken device, a ruined day, and (potentially) a ruined vacation. Don’t get lost, mad, or upset. Geek Squad Black Tie Protection on newly purchased technology can help ensure broken or damaged tech can get back up and running again.
May your journeys this summer (short or long!) have all the comforts of modern technology, and none of the headaches. And as always, Geek Squad Agents are just around the corner at your local Best Buy to offer additional advice, or help bring your American Road Trip experience out of the covered wagon and into the modern age. Buckle up!
In this Two Minute Miracles video, Geek Squad Agent Tony Ballard shows how you can easily important live web pages into your PowerPoint decks.
A few months back, we posted a Two Minute Miracle on disposing of your old tec. Since we shot this video, we’ve rolled out a recycling program to help you get rid of your old PCs and other gear, and we’ve had a lot of questions about how to safely destroy data on the hard drive. We know the stuff on your hard drive is much more than “data.” It could be your tax records, or your 8,900 music tunes, or precious pictures of Jimmy’s first steps. So here we show you how to protect your information by removing and destroying your hard drive before recycling your machine.
For more information on recycling any of your electronics, check out www.bestbuy.com/recycling .
With the proliferation of netbooks over the last year, more and more consumers are carrying portable computers with them. While technology has gotten more portable (and affordable), battery life still, unfortunately, remains an issue. In this Two Minute Miracles video, Geek Squad Agents Ish Matos and Nicole Conway will provide some quick tips for getting more juice out of your laptop battery.
In this Two Minute Miracles video, Andrew Leech and Joel Medrano provide tips for keeping your kids safe online, using the acronym TRUST (T – Talk, R – Restrict Access, U – Utilize Programs, S – Settings, T – Take Charge).
Passwords keep our precious data and information safe and secure online, making it more important than ever to ensure your passwords remain known only to you. In this Two Minute Miracles video, Geek Squad Agents Daniel Campbell and Gerald “Chip” Underwood provide password tips, including things to avoid and ways to make your password even more secure.
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