Blog AJP IT Services - Software Training, PC Support, Website Design and Hardware Sales covering Bristol, Bath and the South West https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 06:02:11 +0000 Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Management en-gb Microsoft Excel Tips: Date and Time https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/microsoft-excel-tips-date-and-time.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/microsoft-excel-tips-date-and-time.html  

Tip 1: Inserting a static date and/or time.

Current date     Select a cell and press CTRL+;

Current time     Select a cell and press CTRL+SHIFT+;

Current date and time     Select a cell and press then SPACE then CTRL+SHIFT+;

Tip 2: Inserting a date that updates.

Choose the Formulas tab and click the Insert Function command and select the function TODAY.

Alternatively, you can type the formula =today() into a cell.

Tip 3: Displaying a series of dates.

To display the dates for a series of days, in the example shown below we have used Mondays. Type the date for the first Monday, in the cell below insert the date for the second Monday. Highlight both cells and then place your mouse pointer over the bottom right corner of the cell (Fill handle) until the mouse pointer changes to a small black cross. Left click and drag down the number of rows required.

 

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jeff@ajp-training.co.uk (Jeff Tucker) Blog Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:36:27 +0000
Image editing tools in Microsoft Office 2010 https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/image-editing-tools-in-microsoft-office-2010.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/image-editing-tools-in-microsoft-office-2010.html There are many new features provided in Microsoft Office 2010, one of them is a selection of advanced image editing tools.


If you select a picture in an Office document such as Word or PowerPoint, the Picture Tools tab will light up and the context sensitive picture format menu will appear.
 Image Menu

The Background removal tool removes the background from the photo.

No Background
 
The Corrections button will allow you to adjust the relative lightness of a picture (brightness), the difference between the darkest and lightest areas of a picture (contrast), and the blurriness of the picture. These are also referred to as colour corrections.  You can bring out detail in over or under-exposed pictures by brightening the picture or change the definition of the borders between light and dark by increasing or decreasing contrast.

Corrections
 
The Color button will allow you to adjust the colour intensity (saturation) and colour tone (temperature) of a picture, re-colour it, or change the transparency of one of its colours. You can apply multiple colour effects to your picture.

Colour
 
The Artistic effects button allows you to apply artistic effects to a picture or a picture fill to make the picture look more like a sketch, drawing, or painting. A picture fill is a shape or other object with a picture applied to "fill it".  You can apply only one artistic effect at a time to a picture, so applying a different artistic effect will remove the previously applied artistic effect.

Artistic
 
Previously tools such as these were only available with sophisticated bitmap editing products such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

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jeff@ajp-training.co.uk (Jeff Tucker) Blog Tue, 24 May 2011 11:52:55 +0000
Top 7 Free Apps https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/top-7-free-apps.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/top-7-free-apps.html Here are some of my favourite apps and services that I use on a daily basis. Best of all they don't cost a penny! Why not give them a go and let us know what you think, or let us know about any of your favourite apps in the comments below!

Dropbox

DropboxDropbox is a fantastic service for syncing files between computers and for online backups. You get 2Gb of storage space for free, with paid subscription options up to 100Gb. You can share online folders with others and access your files anywhere using a browser or mobile device.

Website : http://www.dropbox.com/

Todo.ly

Todo.lyI've tried many task list applications and services, but this is my favourite by far. You can create multiple categories (projects) and sub-categories. You can then simply click and drag tasks to order them within each project, or within other tasks. You can set set completion dates and print your lists.

Website : http://todo.ly/

Klok

KlokKlok is an Adobe Air desktop application with two versions, free and pro (£10). Create clients, projects and tasks; then simply click and drag your current task onto a box to start the work timer. You can see a colour coded graphical display of how you've spent your time and create timesheets for print or download as an excel file. The pro version also lets you import meetings from Google Calendar and has automated backups.

Website : http://www.getklok.com/

Xmarks

XmarksBy installing Xmarks on each of your computers, you can keep your internet bookmarks automatically synchronised. The free version works across most major browsers and the premium version (£7) will also sync with your mobile device.

Website : http://www.xmarks.com/

LastPass

LastPass

Free password management service which runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. With one master password, LastPass will store passwords for all your online accounts which can be set to auto-fill or auto-login. The stored passwords are synchronised across all browsers and computers that you install the app on. I don't use LastPass for storing passwords on high-risk or client sites and I make sure my master password is strong, but this app saves me having to remember (or request replacement) passwords for lots of sites which require login to access.

Website : http://lastpass.com/

Feedly

FeedlyIntegrates with Google Reader to display news stories from your favourite websites. Feedly acts as your own personal online magazine, showing you the latest stories across all of your sources. You can sort sources into categories, recommend and share articles of interest and discover new sites based on your interests. A great way to keep on top of the latest news and developments all in one place.

Website : http://www.feedly.com/

280Daily

280dailyA refreshingly anti-social web app! 280Daily is a private and personal online journal. You're restricted to 280 characters, so it doesn't take long to write and you can set a friendly email reminder so you don't forget. It's accessible from any desktop or mobile web browser, you can upload photos to include with your entries, export entries to PDF or even have them printed and bound in a book!

Website : http://280daily.com/

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dan@ajpit.co.uk (Dan Tucker) Blog Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:15:25 +0000
Microsoft Word Tips : Bullets and Numbering https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/microsoft-word-tips-bullets-and-numbering.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/microsoft-word-tips-bullets-and-numbering.html Tip 01 : How to line up text without creating a new bullet

Want to align a paragraph with the bulleted list items above?

Word Bullet List

In order to create an aligned paragraph instead of another bullet item, press Shift and Enter at the end of the bulleted or numbered list.

Tip 02 : Insert bullet list keyboard shortcut

To insert a new bullet list using your keyboard, simply type an asterisk and hit the spacebar

Tip 03 : Insert numbered list keyboard shortcut

To create a new numbered list using your keyboard, simply type a number, a full stop and a space, followed by your first list item. Each time you subsequently press return, the ordered list will generate a new item number.

We hope you found these tips helpful. If there are any others that you'd like to share, please let us know and we'll include them in a future hints and tips article!

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dan@ajpit.co.uk (Dan Tucker) Blog Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:52:42 +0000
Why Invest in Training? https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/why-invest-in-training.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/why-invest-in-training.html For companies providing similar products or services, investing in the people involved in your organisation can bring significant advantages.

In a 2009 survey of Institute of Directors’ (IOD) members, the principle benefits of training were identified as:

  • improved staff morale
  • improved productivity/profitability
  • improved customer satisfaction
  • improved staff retention
  • improved market share
  • improved staff recruitment

Training is an important part of any job, but is so often considered only when new skills are required.

The latest software packages have vast potential and should be implemented to maximise the return on your investment.

Are you realising the full potential from your software?

In a tough economic climate all businesses are looking to gain competitive advantage wherever they can. Continued investment in staff development, during times when business is slow and competitors are failing, will place organisations in a stronger position to take advantage as the economy improves.

So before cutting your training budget completely, consider ways of targeting your investment more efficiently.

  • Reduce the training program if you need to limit spend; the benefits will still accrue and you'll have less to catch up with when things do improve
  • Keep learning and development under discussion; it could make all the difference between surviving and thriving

And remember

  • Highly trained staff will help your business to retain its competitive edge
  • By training staff you're planning for growth, not survival
  • Through skills development people work more efficiently and increase productivity

What are your thoughts?

Do you think training can improve morale and efficiency for the people within your organisation? Do you think you could gain a competitive advantage, or make your business stronger for future growth, through continued investment in training?

Please leave your comments below and let us know!

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ann@ajpit.co.uk (Ann Tucker) Blog Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:33:34 +0000
New Website Launched https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/new-website-launched.html https://www.ajpit.co.uk/blog/new-website-launched.html AJP are delighted to announce the launch of our new website!

We have made lots of improvements, which we hope you will find useful. The training course outlines have been completely re-organised, making it quicker to find the information you are looking for. You can also view the course outlines and objectives when looking at dates in our course calendar.

The new FAQs page will give you a lot of the relevant information quickly and all in one place.  And, however you plan to travel, we've added directions on our contacts and location page.

We've added this blog where we'll be posting articles and information that we think you'll find interesting, so please check back.

We've got further enhancements scheduled for the website over the coming weeks and months, so watch this space!

We'd love to hear what you think of the new site, so please leave your comments. If you have any suggestions for features you'd like to see us offer via this site, or blog articles that you'd like us to produce, we'd very much welcome your suggestions!

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dan@ajpit.co.uk (Dan Tucker) Blog Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:55:55 +0000