CyberText Newsletter

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Word 2007: Using SEQ fields for numbering

Mar 7, 2010 1:25pm

There are a couple of ways you can set up Word 2007 to use SEQ fields for numbering — you can set them up as AutoCorrect entries or as Quick Parts. Both ways work; the method you choose is up to you. This long article describes how to create the...

Popular Science archives

Mar 6, 2010 1:48pm

For all the geeks, nerds, and science types out there, Popular Science magazine has now made available its entire 137-year’s worth of archives — for free. You can search away to your heart’s content here: http://www.popsci.com.au/archives [Link last checked March 2010] Filed under: Websites ...

Using graphics to convey an error message

Mar 5, 2010 1:19pm

I have occasionally purchased books from Fishpond.com.au, an online bookstore in Australia. Their standard logo includes a happy fish: However, their happy fish becomes a sad fish with a broken fishbowl if their site is down: I like this use of graphics to display the error. While such graphics may not be suitable...

Microsoft Ribbons and the like

Mar 4, 2010 1:27pm

Do you need to know the official terms that Microsoft uses for various parts of the recent Ribbon interfaces? Well, look no further than these resources: Office 2007 Ribbon features: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/FX102774021033.aspx Ribbons (in Windows): http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc872782.aspx (for developers but useful for the rest of us too) Windows 7 UX (user experience) Interaction Guidelines (for...

Zoomable paper map

Mar 3, 2010 1:27pm

Looking at this map, it’s amazing to think that no-one’s thought of it before! What a clever, practical design — you start with your overview map, then fold out the sector you need for more details. So far, the Zoomable Map people (http://www.thezoomablemap.com/) only have a map of London, but I’m...

User manual frustrations

Mar 2, 2010 1:26pm

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve moved into a new house. A house with a reticulated garden. I’ve had reticulation before and the programmable controllers are a bit of a mystery — not at all helped by the invariably incomprehensible user manual that comes with them. This system is a Rain Dial...

It just worked

Mar 1, 2010 1:46pm

Part of moving house and office was rethinking the HP OfficeJet multifunction printer/copier/scanner I’ve been using for the past 11 years (yes, it still works!), and the ancient thermal fax machine (it still works too). It was time for an upgrade. I bought a Brother Multifunction Color Laser with print, scan,...

Hard reboot of a notebook computer

Feb 28, 2010 1:34pm

My main client supplies me with a Lenovo ThinkPad notebook computer for their work. It’s very locked down, so when I needed to install a printer driver the other day, I had to get a special Local Admin access code from the IT Support people, and let the notebook restart...

OMG-WTF continuum

Feb 27, 2010 1:46pm

Interesting infographic… Seen here: http://www.omlidt.com/2010/02/15/infographic-hvad-der-sker-mellem-omg-og-wtf/ [Link last checked February 2010; tweeted by Karen M from Denmark] Filed under: Humor ...

Need to write a mission statement?

Feb 26, 2010 1:30pm

If you have to write a mission statement and are having trouble coming up with enough waffly goobledegook words, then head over to the Mission Statement Generator web page (http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_feb2001/AutoMSG.htm) and click the Create Mission Statement button to get your own randomly generated mission statement! Here’s the one I got: If you...