Writers’ block? 8 Creators share tips and inspiration

Writing is hard. This article shares some tips to unblock the muse and get writing.

Writing Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures

Building an audience for your brand takes time, commitment and a lot of content. Most successful web creators have been publishing consistently for years. That can seem daunting to new creators and it’s easy to panic when the well runs empty, but there is no reason to worry. We recently spoke with eight creators about the habits, tools and inspirations that help them spark fresh content ideas.

Source: Writers’ block? 8 Creators share tips and inspiration

How to Highlight the Mouse Pointer in Windows 10

Need to make the cursor easier to see during online learning? Kevin Stratvert explains how.

In this step-by-step tutorial video, learn how to highlight your mouse cursor to make it easier for your audience to follow your mouse movements and clicks.

The two options that I feature in this video are entirely free. Highlighting your mouse pointer is especially valuable during presentations, demos, remote teaching, and screen recording. Follow along to find out how to make this work on Windows 7, 8, and 10.

At the end, I also show you how to turn on mouse highlighting within OBS or Open Broadcaster Software.

Top 20 Microsoft Word Tips and Tricks for 2021 // All the features you didn’t know existed! – #MIEexpert

A step-by-step tutorial on Mike Tholfsen’s top 20 tips and tricks for Microsoft Word. He covers many of the new Microsoft Word features that have come out in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

This is not your parents’ Word! These Microsoft Word tips and tricks include our new features based on AI and inclusive features like Editor, Dictation, Immersive Reader, Translation, and many more.

Use these MS Word tips to improve your productivity!

Top 20 PowerPoint tips and tricks for 2021 – #MIEexpert

A step-by-step tutorial on my Mike Tholfsen’s 20 Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks for 2021.

The PPT Tips and tricks are the latest and greatest features, and include Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint integration, PowerPoint Presenter coach, Narrate Slide Show, PowerPoint Designer, Dictation, and a bunch of other core features and new improvements for PowerPoint.

This is the modern and AI-infused PowerPoint, so check it out and learn the latest and greatest for Microsoft PowerPoint.

Adobe Believes Every Student is Creative

Adobe for Education have a YouTube channel with helpful teaching videos both for Adobe products but also for creativity generally.

A good idea deserves to be shared with the world, in whichever media will make the most impact. Whether it’s a video, a website, posters, flyers, t-shirts, an app, or a social media campaign. We believe that when students learn to express themselves in any medium, they’ll find their voice. They’ll find new ways to make an impact, in school and beyond. The students of today are the ones with the new ideas, for whatever challenges come next. So let’s give students the chance to create a better word. Subsc

Explainer: What Is Google FLoC?

Worried about browser cookies?

Would a central cookie authority make anything better?

Am I FLoCed?

Read about Google’s FLoC proposal here.

Google says it will block third-party cookies from its Chrome browser and instead will use what’s called Federated Learning of Cohorts, or FLoC. It’s billed as a privacy-preserving platform that lets advertisers reach users using behavioral targeting without needing third-party data. The news has received negative attention from other tech companies and it’s even run afoul of Europe’s GDPR policy. Here’s what FLoC is and the impact on your privacy.

Source: Explainer: What Is Google FLoC? – Flipboard

It’s not about the subscribers but…

I started this blog mainly as a way of remembering things I’d come across during my researches. As I was recording things anyway it seemed reasonable to make it available to everyone.

Based on that extremely slim reasoning the blog has grown until now when I have noticed that it has 3000 email subscribers.

That’s exciting, humbling and terrifying in equal measure. Thanks for dropping by.

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Ashashyou, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why Apple’s new privacy feature is such a big deal – from The Verge

There’s a massive fight taking place. Ostensibly about privacy on the net, in reality it’s about who gets control.

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Wesley Fryer https://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/6635768527

Read more here.

Apple’s latest iPhone update, iOS 14.5, brings a host of new features that customers will likely see and enjoy — better Face ID unlocking when wearing a mask (for Apple Watch users only), new emoji, support for PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers, and more. But the new update also adds a much more important and controversial new feature: App Tracking Transparency. That’s Apple’s name for a privacy feature that’s shaping up to be the company’s next big fight.

The change has been a contentious one. Apple originally announced the feature alongside the rest of iOS 14 last June but has delayed the release until now to give developers more time to adapt to the changes. It’s finally live, though, setting the stage for what could be a massive fight between the Cupertino tech giant and competitors like Facebook.

Source: Why Apple’s new privacy feature is such a big deal – The Verge

New resources on the gender gap in computer science

A continuing disappointment in Computing is the large and accelerating gender disparity in its recruitment. Due in part, I think, to some muddled thinking that occasionally equates computing with the often sexist pastime of computer gaming attracting female students to Computer Science is hard and getting harder.

Three poster images next to each other that have stats from a Google commissioned research study with K-12 young women's quotes next to the stats. First poster: 9% of girls think learning computer science is important. 91% do not. Quotes on this poster next to the 9% stat, in small font: It's exciting. Building stuff is fun.I'm good at it. It's rewarding. It could be a career, I love it. Quotes under the 91% stat, in much larger font: I've never considered it. It's too hard. I'm the only girl in the class. It's geeky. It's what the boys do. I don't belong. My school doesn't teach it. Second poster: 12% girls are likely to pursue a career in computer science. 88% are not. Quotes on this poster next to the 12% stat, in small font: I met some amazing computer scientists. I feel inspired. I'm good at it. Quotes on the poster next to the 88% stat in much larger font: I feel judged. I don't know what a computer scientist does. It's a boys career. None of my friends want to either. I don't know any female engineers. Third poster: 29% of parents of girls are eager for them to pursue a computer science career. 71% are not. Quotes in small font next to the 29% stat: It's a good opportunity. She really enjoys it. Tech is the future. She is so talented. Quotes, in much larger font next to the 71% stat: It's a man's job. I won't be able to help her.Can she do it? It might be too hard.I want her to do a more traditional job.

This resource helps to address the problem.

When it comes to computer science, we still have a lot of work to do to address gaps in education. That’s evident in our latest report with Gallup, Current Perspectives and Continuing Challenges in Computer Science Education in US K-12 Schools. This report is our most recent in a multiple-year series of Diversity in K12 CS education reports with Gallup in an effort to share new research with advocates, administrators, nonprofit partners and the tech industry to continue addressing gaps in computer science education.

Source: New resources on the gender gap in computer science