Keyboard Shortcuts: New Folder, New Files, New Window

keyboard shortcuts new folder new files new window
keyboard shortcut to create new folder

When you find yourself doing a certain repetitive task on your computer, look for a keyboard shortcut to increase your productivity.  Whether you’re running Windows or Mac iOS, there are keyboard shortcuts to perform a variety of tasks including creating new files, creating a new folder, and opening a new window in an existing program.  Here’s how:

New File

When you are already using a desktop program to write a document, create a presentation, or compute sales figures, you can quickly open a new blank version by using the key strokes below.  This document shows up in exactly the same way as using your mouse to navigate the file menu but in much less time.

Windows: Control (Ctrl) + N

Mac: Command ⌘ + N

New Folder

To use this shortcut, make sure to have your file manager open in the directory you want to add the new folder into.  Using the key strokes below will add a folder temporarily named “New Folder” which you can easily rename to suit your needs.

Windows: Control (Ctrl) + Shift + N

Mac: Command ⌘ + Shift + N

New Window

When in an internet browser or file manager system, the key strokes below will open a new window for you.  In your internet browser the new window will go to your homepage, but the file manager will open the same view you currently have.  A new file manager window can be especially useful when moving a lot of files around.

Windows: Control (Ctrl) + N

Mac: Command ⌘ + N

Advanced Tip!

Speaking of moving files, you may find you want to open the parent folder of the current folder in a new window.  For Windows, this is a two-step process, but Mac does it in one.  Here are the key strokes:

Windows: 

Step 1: Control (Ctrl) + N

Step 2: Alt + Up-arrow

Mac: Command ⌘ + Control ⌃ + Up-Arrow

You can modify many of the key combinations above to perform other useful functions.  With the right tools and people who know how to use them, it’s even possible to create your own shortcuts.  If you’re looking for more ways to increase business productivity through efficient use of technology, please contact us today. Check out our blog for more computer tips and tricks.

Make Your Computer More Secure: 5 Steps to a Stronger Password

make your computer more secure 5 steps to a stronger password

how to make your computer more secure

In this day and age, it isn’t a stretch to say that the majority of your important information is stored online. A laptop computer alone often holds bank account information, a lifetime of photos, business information, credit card numbers, and countless other important tidbits.

So how can you protect yourself from hackers gaining access to all of this? Make your computer more secure by having hack resistant passwords.

Here are AE Technology Group’s 5 steps to making a strong password:

Length

The longer your password, the better! Many experts recommend a password of at least 12 characters, but longer certainly doesn’t hurt. The more you have going on, the less likely it is that someone will be able to crack it.

Variation

It is important to vary your password. Instead of having all lowercase letters, mix it up with some uppercase dispersed throughout as well. Mix letters, numbers, and symbols.

Avoid Dictionary Words

Reusing words that are well known makes for a weaker password. To strengthen a password, alter words so that they are no longer normal. For example, “people” could become “pEOPlei”. This is stronger because it is abnormal.

Avoid Facts Relating To You

For a strong password, avoid using numbers or phrases that are relevant to your life. For example, using your birthday as the numbers in your password will be easy to remember, but also easy for others to figure out.

Use Different Passwords

Avoid using the same password for every account, even if it is a strong password. If all of your passwords match, then someone figuring out one gives them access to all of your accounts.

Contact us for more tips on how to keep your computer safe!

6 Benefits of Zarafa Email

6 benefits of zarafa email

The Zarafa program offers traditional groupware features and allows you to control almost every aspect of your inbox. The Zarafa email is an open source and collaboration service that is extremely reliable.

More details about the Zarafa Email software:

Open Source: The collaboration platform is licensed under Affero GPLv3. Zarafa uses standard Linux packages that are interchangeable with other packages which can do the same tasks.

User-Friendly: It is easy to use because the features; the address book, public folders and calendar are similar to Outlook and the layout is familiar. You can get connectivity with Outlook through a plugin.

Device Support: You can have a Web 2.0 Outlook feel through web access on any of your mobile devices and on all your ActiveSync compatible mobile devices.

Contacts: The technology enables you to create, use, and manage your contacts from one place as well as share contacts across your organization. Another great feature is the global address book.

Team Mailbox: You can connect email addresses to a team mailbox. The team members can monitor incoming messages. Each mailbox appears in a folder navigation pane and stays open until closed.

Add-Ons: The features you can add-on are Spreed, Dropbox, IM and ownCloud Support.

AE Technology Group understands your business and can provide computer network managed services. Zarafa Outlook Sharing & Webaccess gives you the advantages of Microsoft Exchange at only half the cost. It combines usability of Microsoft Outlook with the flexibility and stability of a Linux server. Zafra involves a fast setup process and easy migration.

For more information please contact us.

How to Recycle Your Technology?

We love our computers and electronics. That is, until they stop working. Then these computers and their peripherals, from printers to monitors, not to mention your handhelds, batteries, and accessories, often become digital garbage.

These things aren’t made to last after all. (No computer or phone maker is going to mind if you buy an upgrade every year or two.) Consequently, all of this junk ends up in the back of your closet or stored in your garage, collecting dust, because you aren’t sure what to do with the stuff. The best thing to do with this growing accumulation of old electronic equipment is to either donate or recycle it.

Donate your old computers and phones whenever you can to groups that will fix and clean them up and then put them back to good use. Even the oldest computer, something you consider the most obsolete of digital dinosaurs, can probably be used by someone.

There are times, though, when a device is too far gone and there’s nothing else that can be done to bring it back to life again. Even a charity doesn’t want your unusable junk. That junk—called e-waste—is potentially dangerous. Electronics are filled with “heavy metals” (read: toxic metals) and carcinogenic chemicals that are fine when you’re using them, but not so much when sitting in a landfill or, worse, when people try to recycle them incorrectly. Thousands of tons of e-waste is shipped overseas yearly to countries like China and India where it gets dumped and maybe burned, which puts mercury and lead into the air.

So on this 41st Earth Day, we want to point out the places you can take your old or even dead electronics, so they can end up either being used by someone in need or safely recycled.

IT Consulting A Service Needed Now More Than Ever

Information Technology consulting for businesses is more important these days than it has ever been before due to the current proliferation of new technologies that are allowing businesses of all sizes to maximize efficiency and cut costs. In fact we are almost blurring the line between traditional business and “tech” business as IT resources become more and more necessary for the operations of almost every company small or large.

Today’s modern business employee is offered an array of options that – almost coincidentally – reduce overhead, better manage personnel and minimize the effort needed to maintain your business mission itself. Let us examine the most popular and effective new technologies a business has at its disposal:

Managed IT Services

Rather than hiring on-site personnel allow AE Technology Group, an MSP (Managed Service Provider) that is always on the bleeding edge of technology to take over and streamline all of your IT needs so that you may focus all your time on your business and your customers. We provide, support, implement, and educate all our clients on the newest technologies they need to be industry leaders.

Cloud Computing

Uses web-based software and safeguards your data storage through a public or private cloud in order to avoid heavy startup costs, licensing fees, upgrades, and all the hassles of software/data maintenance. Your business is available from any device in any location.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Uses effective software systems to hold on to leads, close sales, manage feedback within your sales pipeline, and much more.

E-Mail

Almost everyone these days uses email on some level but an organization can get so much more if it uses email and its collaboration tools properly. Hosted email solutions manage email economically and avoid the costs of downtime and server maintenance.

Data Protection

Given the resources that potential malicious attackers have to your important data it is more crucial than ever to find the solution to keeping your information secure.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Traditional phone line systems such as key systems and PBX can be relatively inflexible and costly. Managing phone lines over Internet Protocol as you do your other Internet resources reduces costs, improves quality, and opens you up to a new array of applications such as video conferencing.

All of these solutions can increase productivity, reduce costs, and effectively make your business more profitable if implemented and managed properly. Expert IT consulting can make these technologies work for you. Contact us to learn more.