Tech+Updates

To use the Summarize feature, highlight and copy the text you wish to use to the clipboard (Apple-C) then open the TextEdit application from your Applications folder and paste the text into a new TextEdit document. [While you’re at it you might want to drop TextEdit into the Dock for quick access.] Once the text is pasted into the TextEdit document, highlight the text and click on TextEdit at the top of your display – in the drop-down menu, select Services > Summarize. A new window will open presenting a summary of the selected text. This window also includes a bar that allows you to choose the degree to which the text is summarized. (I told you it was COOL.) Give it a try – I used it on a PDF that was more than 100 pages long and the result was more than a little impressive. Reminder: Some applications (such as Mail and Safari) allow you to summarize within the applications themselves, but pasting into TextEdit seems to be the best solution. Imagine the possibilities.
 * On this page we'll post technology-related items that are of general interest - i.e. not specifically identifiable by one discipline. These might include web sites or tips and tricks for the operating system (Windows and OS X) among other things.**
 * __For example__**:
 * OS X** -- go to http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/ to download Widgets for your Dashboard. One you might find particularly useful is the **Countdown Timer**
 * Widgets. http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/calculate_convert/321.html
 * **Caffeine for a sleepy Mac** - If your Mac laptop starts drifting off to sleep or slipping into screen saver mode at inconvenient times, consider installing [|Caffeine]. It’s a nifty little application that’ll keep the OS X machine alert, awake, and ready for action even if you walk away for a moment or two.
 * **Too Cool:** The **Summarize** feature in the **Services menu** of Mac OS 10.4 has to be one of the coolest – and most overlooked – tech tools I’ve encountered in a long time. It generates a surprisingly accurate summary of selected text and is therefore a convenient way to condense and read long web articles and other documents (say, perhaps, student essays?!?!?)


 * WinXP** - a host of Windows XP add-ons are available from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx These Power Toys add features you might not have known you needed.
 * The Open CD - Open Source software for Windows http://www.theopencd.org/Welcome
 * Take your Windows applications, files, etc. with you via flash drive, iPod, etc. with MojoPak - [|http://www.mojopak.com] The experience is exactly as if you are logging into your PC, complete with your desktop, shortcuts, applications and preferences


 * __Web Sites__**:
 * **WEB 2.0**: What is it? Here's the definitive directory. http://www.go2web20.net/Flickr - the global photo utility http://www.flickr.com/
 * Panoramio - photos of the world http://www.panoramio.com/
 * TeachersFirst - the web resource for teachers http://www.teachersfirst.org/index.cfm
 * National Atlas http://nationalatlas.gov/
 * **Pay Attention** (Teaching with Technology video) http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=40c570a322f1b0b65909
 * **Citation - It's a Good Thing**
 * One of many citation guidance sites available free to K-12 users, The [|Citation Machine] is a great starting point. For even more assistance check out the [|APA Style tips] site.
 * Test your fonts before activating that web page - visit [|Font Tester] first.