"Read Mode" for Chrome Removes Distractions

Many web pages are full of distracting advertisements, animations, buttons, and "If you liked this..." links.  These can often get in the way of the real reason that you went there:  To read something.

To handle this, install "Read Mode" on Chrome or chromebooks.  It can take a cluttered website and strip away the distractions, noisy ads, and other "busy" items that tug at your attention.  In other words, this:

Before using Read Mode

...becomes this:

Read Mode leaves only the useful part

To install it, go to the Chrome Web Store (at chrome.google.com) and search for "Read Mode".

Once installed, there will be a small eye glasses icon at the top-right whenever Read Mode thinks it can remove distractions.  Click that and it will perform its magic.

Click the "eye glasses" to activate Read Mode

Bonus tip:  Using Read Mode before print a web page can make the printout much cleaner and save ink!

Chromebook Login Quick Fix

Chromebooks are largely trouble-free, but no computer is perfect.  One thing that sometimes goes wrong on a chromebook is that it gets "pointed at" the wrong wireless network and asks you to login to the "Guest" wireless network.  Fortunately, this is easy to fix.

If you see this:

That means the chromebook is on the "Guest" wireless network.  To switch it back to "Data" just do the following.

First, click on the lower-right corner.  A menu will pop up.

Next, click on "Connected to Guest".

Lastly, click on "Data".

Wait for a few seconds while it connects.

Once it connects, things should be back to normal.

Google has notified me of an upcoming change that I wanted to share with you.  Its largely a cosmetic change, but it could easily confuse someone not expecting it.

Sometime in early 2014, they will be changing the login screen from our custom CDCSD page to the standard "Google login" style.  Here are two pictures to show the difference.

Current Login Screen:

Future Login Screen:

In the case of chromebook use, once a student logs in to the chromebook all of their Google services (such as Docs) will already be logged in.  So they might never be exposed to this change.

Anyone using Google Apps from computers at home and from Mac and Windows computers at school would most likely notice the difference.

Google has stated simply that this change will occur "early next year."

Shopping Tips, 2013

This is my shopping tips update for 2013.  I should have put this out a week ago, but I lost track of time.  Fortunately, this is still useful.

Other Tips

First off, I want to point out my previous two years' advice.  Its all still valid.  I especially encourage the smart-phone shopping trick from 2012.

• November 2011:  Electronics Shopping
• November 2012:  Three Big Tips

Video Games

If you're looking for a Wii U, I've noticed something odd.  The Basic model is $299.  The Deluxe model (which is the Basic model plus some stuff) is $299.  The Deluxe model with two Super Mario Brothers games or a Zelda game is $299.  The Basic model with the new Skylanders:  Swapforce game and a bunch of Skylanders parts is $299.  So if you're looking for a Wii U, pick the game bundle that you want and get that, but don't get the Basic model.

If you are shopping for someone who doesn't have any gaming system at all, the older X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii are available for record low prices.  I've noticed used Wii consoles at GameStop for well under $100.

iPads

There are new iPad models out and a lot of people are excited.  The interesting thing for deal-hunters, though, is that the previous models are deeply discounted now.

If you go to apple.com/store, scroll all the way to the bottom, and click on "Refurbished & Clearance" in the small print, you can find deals on the 3rd and 4th generation models.  I have a 3rd generation iPad myself and it is still doesn't feel old or slow.

Chromebooks

A few parents have asked me about buying chromebooks for home.  Its a low cost, fast, virus-free computer and we have hundreds of them in the schools.  They make a great second computer at home and a great way to end arguments over which of your children gets a turn at the computer.  I can't recommend it (yet) as the only computer in the house if the parents need to do office work, but its great for Internet use, students working from home, or a second computer.

At this point, I'd recommend the Acer C720 model with 4GB of RAM.  There is a model with 2GB of RAM, as well.  Either would be a good computer, but the one with 4GB of RAM is going to handle multitasking better.  The 4GB model costs roughly $250 and the 2GB model costs about $200.

If you want a bigger screen, the HP Chromebook 14 is a nice model.  Just make sure you're buying this year's model.  For $299, you get a chromebook with a big screen and a 9.5 hour battery.

One word of caution:  Avoid the HP Chromebook 11 model.  I don't think they're sold any more, but they were known to overheat.

Keychain "Nagging" on Macs

Ever see this while using a Mac on the web?

It means that your "keychain" didn't unlock when you logged in to the Mac.  This article will explain how that happened and how to fix it.

How to Fix It

You're probably reading this because you want to fix this, so let's start there.

• Logout of the Mac.
• Login to the Mac, but go slowly.
• When you are asked to pick between three choices, pick "Create New Keychain".

How it Happened

As you use the web, sometimes you see forms that ask for your name, password, credit card information, etc.  The Mac you're using will try to store those bits of information for you.  That way, when you see a form like that again in the future, it can fill the form in for you and save you some typing.

That information is stored in a small database called a "keychain."  The keychain is encrypted so that no one can steal your information.  So in order for you to use it, it must be "unlocked" when you login.  That happens when you enter your password while logging into the Mac.

But what if your Mac password gets changed?  The keychain won't know.  So it would keep using your old password.  The most common example of this is when students reach 6th grade.  We change passwords at 6th grade to make them harder to guess.  Unfortunately, it means that the old password is still used by the keychain.  There is no way around this.  So its left to 6th graders to create new keychains when they login.  The same thing can happen when someone (student or employee) needs their password changed.

View Schedule for Labs

Ever need to know which computer labs are available for a future class?  Follow these directions to place the schedule of several computer labs inside your calendar for easy reference.

• Login to Google Calendar.
• Click on the small "down-arrow" button next to "Other Calendars".  Then click "Browse Interesting Calendars" in the menu.

• Click on the "More" tab and then "Resources for cairodurham.org".

• For each lab or room that you want to view, click on "Subscribe".  The word "Subscribe" will change to "Unsubscribe".  (You can come back here and click "Unsubscribe" in the future if you change your mind.)

• Click on "<< Back to calendar".

• At that point, you should see any calendars that you added on the left side of your main view.

Reserve a Room / Lab with Google Calendar

If you need to use a computer lab for a lesson, be sure to reserve it ahead of time.  Just follow the directions below.

• To make a reservation, just make an appointment on the calendar and add the room to the event.  Do this by clicking on "Create" on the left.

• Then type your name as the title (where it says, "Untitled event"), enter the date, and select start and end times.

.

• Then over on the right, click on "Rooms, etc." and click "Add" next to the room.  This will add it to the "Guests" list just under the list of rooms.  If the room isn't listed, then someone else has already reserved it.  (To confirm, you can uncheck "Show only available".  Then you should see the room with a red "X" next to it instead of the green square.)

• Then click the red "Save" button in the upper-left.