Tag: Bluetooth

How to Find Your Tribe and Thrive as a Woman in Tech

How to Find Your Tribe and Thrive as a Woman in Tech

The world of technology has been traditionally dominated by men. But the times they are a changing, as the song says, and more and more women are entering the industry, bringing with them their unique perspectives and skills. So how do you “find your tribe” so that you can thrive as a woman in technology? Let’s take a look at some tips that will help you identify and connect with like-minded women.

Connect With Local Resources

Finding local resources is one of the best ways to start networking with other women in tech. Look for meetup groups, conferences, and events such as hackathons or “Women Who Code” gatherings. Not only will these events give you the opportunity to meet potential mentors or employers, but they can also be great places to make connections with other female tech professionals. If there aren’t any events near you, consider hosting your own! Start small by inviting friends from work or school to join you for an informal gathering at a coffee shop or restaurant. Take advantage of any opportunity you have to put yourself out there and meet new people – it could open up new doors for you in your career.

Make Yourself Visible

Once you start networking, make sure you do everything you can to make yourself visible within your chosen field of interest. Attend conferences or meetups related to your interests, volunteer for projects related to your goals, and speak up about topics related to technology or innovation that matter to you. This will help get your name out there and let people know what skills you have that could be valuable for their team or organization.

Turn Social Media into Professional Connections

Social media platforms like LinkedIn are also great places to connect with potential mentors and colleagues in the tech industry. Use LinkedIn to search for people who have similar backgrounds or interests as yours and reach out to them directly. You can also use Twitter or Instagram hashtags to find relevant conversations taking place around topics that interest you. Don’t be afraid to jump into conversations or ask questions; these platforms offer great opportunities for connecting with peers on both a personal and professional level.

Be Open-Minded & Embrace Change

Finally, when building relationships with other women in tech, remember that everyone has different experiences and perspectives on technology and innovation—and they all deserve respect. Be open-minded when talking with others about the latest trends or technologies; even if something isn’t personally relevant right now, it may become so down the line! Plus, being open-minded is key when trying out new things (like coding languages) or learning new skills (like UX design).

No matter where you are on your journey as a woman in tech, remember that finding your tribe is an important part of the process! Networking both online and offline will help you build connections with other women who understand exactly what it feels like to be working hard for success in a predominately male-dominated field. Also take advantage of opportunities available such as attending conferences or speaking up about topics related to technology or innovation that matter most to you – these small steps can go a long way toward helping build visibility for yourself within your chosen field of interest! Finally, keep an open mind; embrace change and try new things – not only will this keep your skillset competitive but also give insight into potential career paths which may better align with your goals! Good luck!

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Unlock Your Audience’s Potential With These Technical Writing Best Practices

Unlock Your Audience’s Potential With These Technical Writing Best Practices

As a technical writer, it’s important to understand your audience and the needs of the people you are writing for. Knowing your audience helps you craft content that is engaging, informative, and most importantly—relevant. Here are some tips on how to get to know your audience as a technical writer and ensure that your content resonates with them.

1.Understand Your Readers

The first step in getting to know your readers is understanding who they are. Are they tech-savvy? Are they newbies? What kind of language do they use when talking about technology? Do they have any prior knowledge or experience related to the topic? Understanding these basic facts will help you write in a manner that resonates with your audience and makes it easier for them to understand what you’re trying to convey.

2.Engage with Your Readers

Another great way to learn more about your audience is by engaging with them directly. Commenting on blog posts, participating in online forums, or joining social media groups can help you gain valuable insights into what they’re looking for from a technical writer. Additionally, this type of engagement allows you to build relationships within the industry that could lead to future collaborations or other opportunities down the line.

3.Make Use of Surveys or Focus Groups

If you need more insight into who is consuming your content or who might be interested in consuming it, consider conducting surveys or focus groups. Surveys can help you identify who exactly is reading your material, what topics they find interesting or relevant, and even their background in terms of industry knowledge or experience level if necessary. Focus groups are also helpful if you want a better understanding of how users interact with certain materials or products and what they think about them.

4.Research Your Topic

You should also take the time to research your topic thoroughly before writing about it. Use multiple sources from both online and offline materials, such as books, websites, blogs, and articles. This will ensure that you are getting an accurate account of facts about the topic so that you can provide accurate information for your readers. Additionally, researching thoroughly will give you more insight into how your readers may think or feel about the topic at hand.

5.Incorporate Stories & Analogies

Using stories and analogies is one of the most effective ways to engage with readers and make complex topics easier to understand. Incorporating stories into technical documents gives readers something tangible that they can relate to while also illustrating various points in a more concrete way than just listing off facts. It also helps make dry topics more interesting, which is key when it comes presenting technical content in an engaging manner.

6.Be Transparent About Your Purpose

When creating any kind of written material, make sure that it’s clear from the outset exactly why the document was created and what its purpose is for both readers and writers alike. For example, if someone were reading an instruction manual for using a product, then it should be evident from the start why they are reading it—to learn how to use said product—and how their experience using it could potentially improve after reading said manual. Being transparent about your purpose can help ensure that all readers actually understand what they are reading instead of just skimming through without taking anything away from the document itself.

7.Stay Up-To-Date on Industry Updates

Finally, staying up-to-date on industry updates is essential if you want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to understanding what your audience wants from a technical writer. Reading industry publications or attending conferences and events are both great ways of doing this. Additionally, subscribing to newsletters or other digital resources can also help keep you informed about any new developments in the field that may be relevant for your readership as well as any changes that could affect how they receive and interact with your content going forward.

Understanding your audience as a technical writer is key to ensuring that all of your written materials resonate with readers on an individual level while still providing them with valuable information that can help them improve their lives in some way or another. To get started, consider researching skills levels and goals associated with each reader group as well as utilizing surveys or focus groups if necessary. Additionally, make sure all documents have an obvious purpose stated at the beginning so that everyone knows why they are reading something before delving into its contents. Doing this will not only increase engagement but also create an overall more positive user experience when interacting with written materials produced by technical writers.

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How to: find a lost iPhone even when it’s set to vibrate/silent

 

By Michael Potuck of 9to5 Mac

It can be a frustrating experience to try and find a lost or misplaced iPhone, particularly when it’s set to vibrate/silent. Follow along for two easy ways to locate your iPhone.

Apple offers a couple of handy ways to find your misplaced iPhone (and other
Apple devices) even when it’s set to vibrate/silent. Whether you’ve never used these features before or it’s just been a little while, let’s dive in!
One last thing to keep in mind, your lost iPhone will need to be powered on for the best chance of success, although there may be some hope if not.

Option 1
Find My iPhone is a super handy app that will make your iPhone ring even when it’s set to vibrate/ring. Keep in mind you’ll need to have the feature turned on in settings under iCloud → Find My iPhone. If you happen to be reading this before you’ve lost or misplaced your device it’s also helpful to turn on Send Last Location which automatically uploads this data to Apple just before your battery is about to die.
1 Open Find My iPhone, or download it from the App Store here
2 Tap on the device you’ve lost from the list shown
3 Tap Play Sound

Option 2
If you have an Apple Watch, there is a slick iPhone ping feature built right in. You also don’t need Find My iPhone to be turned on in iCloud settings for this to work.
1 Swipe up from the bottom of your Apple Watch to open Control Center
2 Tap on the ping iPhone icon as seen below

If your lost iPhone or other device has a dead battery, make sure to try and use the Find My iPhone app to at least see its last location. Sometimes that may be enough to jog your memory or put you on the path to finding it.

Do you have any clever ways to track down your missing phone? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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How To: Switch Bluetooth Devices in the iOS 11 Control Center

 

By Chris Hauk of Mactrast.com

If you’re like me, you have multiple bluetooth devices paired to your iPhone and iPad. (I have multiple Apple TVs, my AirPods, and various speakers paired to my iPhone.) iOS 11 Control Center makes it easy to switch to active Bluetooth devices, with just a swipe and a few taps of your finger.

How To Switch Bluetooth Devices in the iOS 11 Control Center

1.) Open Control Center. You can do this on the iPhone X by swiping down from the top right of your device’s screen. For every other iPhone, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

2.) You’ll see the music player widget in the top-right portion of the Control Center. Look in the upper-right hand portion of the music player widget, and you’ll see an icon that looks like two curved lines. Tap those lines. (iPhone owners with a 3D Touch-capable device can force-touch the music player to pop out the Music Center to the screen. You can then tap the icon in the upper-right hand corner that looks like a triangle with three circle at the top of it.)

3.) You’ll now see the device options. All of the available connected devices that are in range are listed here. You’ll see a checkmark next to the device that is being used for audio.

4.) Tap the name of the device you would like to use for audio. Your sound should immediately transfer to that device.
For more tips and tricks on how to make better use of your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, be sure to visit the “How To” section of our website.

 

What Control Center short cuts do you use the most? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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Amazon Echo tips and tricks: Getting a grip on Alexa

 

Ladies,

This is the coolest gadget for the home right now and Alexa is like Siri on steroids. Anyone who ones an Echo can tell you how much fun it can be and how surprisingly helpful it is to have around. If this is a preview of the “Smart Home” future, Sign.Me.Up!

By ELYSE BETTERS of Pocket lint

The Amazon Echo almost needs no introduction, that gateway to a world of connected fun. Posing as a cylindrical speaker, the Amazon Echo is likely to be one of the hottest gadgets of 2016, with Alexa getting in on the action as your new helpful AI assistant.

The Amazon Echo can make to-do lists, set alarms, stream podcasts, play audiobooks, read PDFs, provide weather forecasts, warn you of traffic, answer trivia, and serve up other information in real-time. 

We’ve been living with the Echo, Dot and Alexa for some time and here’s how to get the most out of this cool smart home accessory.

Amazon Echo: How does Echo work? 

The magic of the Amazon Echo comes from its connection. After a quick set-up process, which involves plugging it in, taking control of it via the Alexa app (Android, iPhone, Desktop) and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi network, Alexa will listen to your voice and respond accordingly, either returning information found online, or through a number of partners that work with the Amazon Echo.

You need to be online to use the Amazon Echo, but it’s simply a case of asking questions and issuing commands.

Amazon Echo: How many Echo models are there?
There are three different versions of the Amazon Echo:
• Amazon Echo
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Amazon Echo Tap

The Echo is the full-sized speaker, the Dot provides the microphones and Bluetooth or physical connection to existing features and the Tap is a portable Bluetooth speaker (not available in the UK). 

We’ve broken down the different skills of these devices in a separate feature, explaining all the pros and cons if you need to know more.

Amazon Echo: Echo tips and tricks

Mute the “Alexa” wake word

Amazon Echo is always listening for the word “Alexa”. Whenever you say it, the Echo will listen, consider what you’re saying and respond. But if you don’t want the Echo to wake and respond, there’s a mute button on the top of the speaker that you can press to mute Alexa.
Press it again to unmute her. Simples.

Change Echo the wake word

If you happen to have someone in your house called “Alex” or similar, then you’ll find the Echo responds when you say that name too. You can choose another word, either Amazon or Echo. 

Head into the Alexa app > settings > select your Echo > Wake Word and pick a new word from the list.

How to control Amazon Echo through your browser
There are a couple ways you can control your Echo, as well as your to-do and shopping lists. The first, as we mentioned, is through the Alexa app. The second way is through the web. Just visit this site in your browser: http://echo.amazon.com and you’ll be able to log-in and control your device without needing a phone.

Change the default music service
The Echo is compatible with a range of music services, not only Amazon’s own. If you’d rather use Spotify, head into the Alexa app > Settings > Music & Media.
In this section you can link music accounts and pick the default. Then, when you say “Alexa, play Phil Collins” it will use Spotify rather than Amazon music, for example.

Add skills to Alexa
There are lots of things that the Echo will do by default, but sometimes you’ll have to enable a particular feature to get more. These are called skills, and basically give Alexa access to particular information. In the Alexa app head into Skills and you’ll find a range of compatible apps and features. It’s here you can enable control of your Hive heating or access to your BMW Connected app, for example. 

Setup Household Profiles
From the Amazon website you can link your family Prime accounts. With a feature called Household Profiles, you can add another adult to your Amazon Household to listen to either his or her content (for instance, music and audiobooks) and manage shared features (like lists).

Go to Settings, scroll down the page, and set up your Household. Shared members will have to download the Echo app and agree to join the household. You can also the app to setup your household too. More information about Household Profiles is at this support page.

Switch Amazon account profiles
Thanks to Household Profiles, Amazon Echo can be synced with more than one Amazon account. To find out which profile you’re currently using, say “Alexa, which profile am I using?” To switch profiles, say either “Alexa, switch profile” (moves to the next profile) or “Alexa, switch to David’s profile” (moves to the profile you named). More information about Household Profiles is at this support page.

Control a smart home device
You can control some smart home devices with Alexa (see a list of compatible devices here).
After you say “Discover my devices”, or use the Alexa app to discover and pair smart home devices, you can ask Alexa to do things like “Turn on/off [smart home device name]” or “Dim the light to [##] per cent” (see a list of commands here).
You can also setup groups (see here) so that saying “house lights” turns on/off several lamps. Alexa works with many common connected devices, like Philips Hue.

Force software updates
Amazon Echo has a CPU and software running it that needs updating. The speaker looks for updates every night, but if you want to force an update, just hit that same mute button we discussed earlier, then let Echo sit for at least 30 minutes, and the speaker will update.

Amazon Echo: What can you say to Alexa?
Here are some examples of things you can do with Echo/Alexa, along with links to their relevant Amazon support pages:
• Ask questions
• Check your calendar
• Control media playback on Bluetooth devices
• Control music with your voice
• Control smart home devices
• Discover and buy music
• Find local businesses and restaurants
• Find traffic information
• Get updates on the weather
• Go to the movies
• Hear the news
• Keep up with your favorite sports teams
• Keep track of important tasks and items to purchase
• Listen to audiobooks
• Listen to Prime Music
• Listen to stations, shows and more
• Read Kindle books
• Reorder products from Amazon
• Request music
• Set up alarms and timers
•
Amazon Echo: Are there any Easter eggs?
Alexa responds to a wide number of fun Easter eggs.
This Reddit thread aggregates several interesting commands you can issue to Alexa. We’ve picked out a few of the more interesting ones and listed them below, but not all will work in all locations:
• “Simon says…”:
You can get Alexa to repeat anything you say if use the command “Alexa, Simon says…”
• “Alexa, play Bingo”:
Look up and download some free printable bingo cards, and ask Alexa to start a Bingo game with you.
• “Alexa, ask Word Master to play a game”:
This is like Geography. Alexa says a word, then you have to follow with a word that starts with the last letter of the word she said.
• “Alexa, start Animal Game/Capital Quiz”:
This lets you play 20 questions about animals or geography.
• “Alexa, start Star Wars quiz”
Self-explanatory.
• “Alexa, play Jeopardy”
Trivia geeks will love these game-show style questions. Don’t forget to answer in the form of a question.
• “Alexa, roll the dice”
Missing the di to your board game? She’ll roll 6-sided, 10-sided, 20-sided, and other dice as well.
• “Alexa, open the Wayne Investigation”
This starts a chose-your-own-adventure game that immerses you into the world of Gotham.

Amazon Echo: What are some funny questions to ask?

Ask Alexa these questions and we promise you’ll love her responses:

• “Alexa, what does WTF stand for?”
• “Alexa, Up Up, Down Down, Left Right, Left Right, B, A, Start”
• “Alexa, how much is that doggy in the window?”
• “Alexa, Is Santa real?”
• “Alexa, do you know Hal?”
• “Alexa, Who shot first?”
• “Alexa, which came first: the chicken or the egg?”
• “Alexa, what is love?”

This website suggests more hilarious questions you can ask. 

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How to Connect wireless headphones to any TV

Ladies,

Living in the digital age means are gadgets are smarter than we are, including our TV sets. I remember when there was only one TV in the house and it had only 3 channels. Today, it seems, you need to have an engineering degree (or a child) in order to tune into your favorite show every week. And, the way we view our shows has changed drastically too. Our shows are “on demand” and rarely watched with the entire family gathered around the set at prime time. No, these days most of us catch up on our shows when it’s most convenient but, that doesn’t always coincide with the rest of your households schedules. Luckily, our smart TVs, gaming consoles, and TV gadgets have the ability to connect a variety of headphones so you can watch your shows without disturbing the rest of the house.

by Taylor Martin of CNET

Use one of these methods to connect headphones to your TV and enjoy listening at full volume without disturbing others.

So you want to watch television at night without disturbing others trying to sleep. Or maybe you prefer to block out the noise of your surroundings — like that annoying dog next door who won’t stop barking — while catching up on The Flash.
Connecting wireless headphones to your television doesn’t have to be difficult, and there are several ways you can pull it off, regardless of what TV you have.

DEDICATED WIRELESS HEADPHONES
If you’re like most people, your TV doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth. But the workaround for connecting wireless headphones is so simple and cheap, it’s not a huge deal anyways.


One the most straightforward ways to use wireless headphones with your TV is to purchase dedicated wireless headphones. These typically come with a base station that plugs into the television via 3.5mm analog jack or optical and work over radio frequency instead of Bluetooth, which comes with one main advantage: range.

Bluetooth headphones are typically limited to 30 feet, give or take. RF headphones often have a far superior range — closer to 300 feet when unobstructed.
There is a catch, however. If you do not have another audio device connected to your television through that jack, such as a sound bar, you’ll have to swap it for the headphones when you want to go wireless.

But if your sound bar is connected through either optical or digital outputs, you can leave the wireless headphones connected without interfering with normal audio playback.

You can find wireless headphones for your television for anywhere from $20 to upwards of $300 and the audio quality will vary substantially.

BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
A dedicated set of headphones for your TV might have its advantages, but if you already have a nice pair of headphones you’d prefer to use, you might be able to make it work with things you already own or for even less.

If your headphones are Bluetooth, all you really need is a Bluetooth transmitter. Transmitters can be found online or at your local electronics retailers for as little as $15.

Basically, it takes the 3.5mm or RCA output from your television and transmits it as a Bluetooth signal. You will need a power source — usually USB — which you might be able to tap from the USB port on the television or plug into a power strip around your entertainment system. Once you pair the transmitter with your Bluetooth headphones, setup is complete and you can begin watching shows or movies with the audio streaming through your favorite headphones.

Using a Bluetooth transmitter will leave you with the same issue as a pair of dedicated wireless headphones, though. If you’re not using another 3.5mm output device, like a sound bar, you may have to disconnect the Bluetooth transmitter from the 3.5mm or RCA jacks to restore volume to the television’s internal speakers.

MEDIA STREAMERS


Some set-top boxes — such as Roku, Apple TV and Android TV boxes — allow you to connect headphones and listen to your movies and TV shows in private. This is often one of the most hassle-free ways to connect headphones to your television.

ANDROID TV
Support for Bluetooth audio devices on Android TV boxes is hit or miss. Some support Bluetooth, but only for use with a keyboard and mouse. Others, do support Bluetooth headphones, and you pair them just as you would with any other Android device. Put the headphones into pairing mode, go to Settings > Bluetooth and select the headphones when they appear.


The Nvidia Shield Controller also has a headphone jack built-in, so you can use wired headphones with the controller if you don’t have Bluetooth headphones on hand.

APPLE TV
Apple TV will allow you to connect Bluetooth headphones. Just put the headphones into pairing mode and go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth. Wait for the headphones to appear and select them to pair and connect.

 

AMAZON FIRE TV
You can pair Bluetooth headphones with the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. Just put your Bluetooth headphones in pairing mode and on the Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, go to Settings > Controllers and Bluetooth Devices > Other Bluetooth Devices. Once your headphones appear under Discovered Devices, select them to complete pairing.

 

ROKU
Depending on which model Roku and Roku remote you have, you can either use private listening through the Roku app or plug wired headphones into the jack on the remote.

To use private listening with the Roku app, download the Roku app to your Android or iOS device and make sure your phone is connected to the same wireless network as your Roku. Open the app and connect either wired or Bluetooth headphones to your phone and private listening will be enabled. Disconnect the headphones to disable private listening.

The Roku 3, Roku Premiere+, Roku 4 and Roku Ultra all come with remotes that feature headphones jacks.

GAMING CONSOLES

If you have a gaming console plugged into your television, you can use it for wireless audio. But there’s a catch. Bluetooth support is spotty and you’ll need wired headphones.

PLAYSTATION 4
The PlayStation 4 will only supports specific Bluetooth headsets. There is also a workaround which requires a USB Bluetooth adapter that circumvents the restriction, but it still doesn’t work with all Bluetooth headsets and headphones.
Your best bet is using wired headphones and plugging them into the 3.5mm headphone jack on the controller. Just make sure to select the proper audio device in settings, under Settings > Devices > Audio Devices > Output to headphones.


XBOX ONE
The Xbox One does not support Bluetooth, so your hopes of a truly wireless experience are dead. But, like with the PlayStation 4, you can plug your headphones into the 3.5mm jack on the controller.
Unfortunately, not all Xbox One controllers are created equal. Newer models have the 3.5mm jack built-in. With an older wireless controller, you will need to purchase the Stereo Headset Adapter, which plugs into the bottom of the controller and gives it a 3.5mm jack and volume and microphone controls.

 

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