The start of a new twelvemonth is as estimable a time as any to start out using all the technical school around you to endure and work smarter : Get more done in less time and free up some space for doing the stuff that you really savor . Here are some of our favourite app and gadget hacks for power up your productivity tier in all kind of path .
1) Use voice dictation (and voice commands)
You might not realize all the ways you could use your voice to get through everything that needs doing in a faster time . Both Windows and macOS have built - in dictation tools : explore for “ windows talking to recognition ” in the Windows Start menu ( more here ) or head to the Dictation tab under Keyboard in macOS System Preferences ( more here ) .
There ’s voice recognition and dictation in Google Docs on the web too — click Tools then Voice typewriting and see if you’re able to speak out your documents faster than you’re able to type them .
You might already be familiar with using Siri orGoogle Assistantto do stuff on your phone , but check that you experience everything that your assistant of choice can do . Both these apps let you ship emails and text messages with just your voice , for lesson , which again can save you some time .
Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)
2) Expand your desktops
Both Windows and macOS include native support for multiple background , so you do n’t have to keep all your windows jam into one space . It ’s like have several different monitors set up on your desk , without the disbursement of any extra ironware .
In macOS , these virtual desktopsare called Spaces : you’re able to see them by launching Mission Control from the dock or the Launchpad , or by using the Command+Up arrow keyboard shortcut . Move the cursor to the top of the screen then click the Plus icon to create a new blank space .
Over on Windows , you take to click the Task View button , which is just to the right wing of the search box on the taskbar . This bring up all your open windows , and you ’ll see the option to make a young desktop to give yourself more space .
Photo: David Nield (Gizmodo)
3) Keep a lid on your notifications
We ’ve writtenseveraltimesbefore about ways in which you may cut down on the number of notifications you ’re getting — not just from your phone but also from your estimator and other gadgets . Do you really desire to give apps and websites the permission to break you whenever they feel like it ?
With the new upgraded Do Not commove feature article inAndroidandiOS , plus the notification direction tools you get in the options of these mobile OSes , it ’s easier than ever to put a lid on apps you do n’t require to listen from always . you’re able to still let people reach you in an emergency without have Snapchat knock every two minute of arc .
Check the notification setting inside the apps you expend as well . In Gmail for Android and iOS , for instance , you may have warning signal only for email send to your main folder ; in Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp , you may mute conversation threads for a certain identification number of hours until you ’re ready to read them ; and so on and so on .
Photo: Alex Cranz (Gizmodo)
4) Connect your accounts
Generally address , you do n’t want to go overboard with have accounts plug in to each other — you should n’t , for instance , really have a 12 useless appsplugged into your Facebookaccount . But there are social function when it ’s deserving keeping your chief account hook up to each other to preserve yourself some time .
For example , you could haveFitbit and Strava connectedto each other , or apply the always excellent IFTTT ( If This Then That ) topost to several societal sensitive sitesat once ( salve you some typewriting and uploading ) . If you’re able to avoid duplication and have some of your apps working in sync then it ’s worth doing .
Another useful way of consolidating all your incoming info and saving yourself from checking rafts of dissimilar accounts in dozens of different places is by having all your emailarrive in the same inbox , where it can be divvy up with and assort together .
5) Purge your social media accounts
We ’ve already mentioned on cutting down on the number of notifications you get across your roving twist and computers , and another way of living a more misdirection - free living is to seriouslycut down on the number of peopleyou’re following on social media .
This is one of the more meter - consuming and tedious tasks you’re able to take on but it ’ll make a difference to your timeline and feed — fewer update from citizenry you do n’t really care about and more updates from the the great unwashed you do . If you ’re feeling really brave , you could go all the way down to zero and start again from dough .
you may also customize the liaison you see update from in Facebook while still keep your connection with them as Quaker . On Facebook on the web , tick the three dots next to News Feed on the left hand then pluck Edit Preferences .
6) Reset and restart where possible
We ca n’t overstate the benefits you get from clearing out the digital clutter and starting again from scratch , whether we ’re lecture about your entire operating system or the elongation set up in your browser app . Use the novel year as an chance to do a footling spring cleaning around your apps and devices .
How does it improve productivity ? Well , it squashes pestering bugs that you might have learned to just accept as a agency of lifetime , and generally speed up whatever gismo you ’re using . Do you really require all those games establish on your smartphone ?
We ’ve write guides in the past to completely resettingWindows , macOS , and your browser app , and the process is n’t difficult for Android or iOS either — just check that you ’ve get all your authoritative data backed up in a safe topographic point first .
7) Set up advanced routines for Amazon Alexa and Google Home
If you ’ve got anAmazon EchoorGoogle Homespeaker at your place of residence then you ’re probably used to force out off a few questions about the weather or the cast of the new Avengers movie . But these speakers and the fresh assistants inside them are now a slew more up to than that .
Both Alexa and Google Assistant now support the use of routines , which are basically a clump of operations all piled together under one voice command . When you get up in the morn , you might get your speaker to read the news , and twist on the lights , and unlock the front room access … you get the mind .
In the Amazon Alexa peregrine app , you need to tap Routines from the main app menu on the left to get started . In the Google Home wandering app , open your profile chit then pick out configurations , Assistant , and then Routines to get started .
8) Learn some new keyboard shortcuts
You wo n’t gain how much faster you could work with keyboard shortcuts until you actually try a few of them out : We ’ve start out guides to shortcuts forWindows , macOS , andthe entanglement , and they can save up you hours of time clicking around menus .
Even if you sleep together the fundamental principle , like copying and pasting , there ’s always more to learn . Did you know you could leap out between tab in Chrome by holding down Ctrl or Command and then tip a number winder ? Or that you may use Ctrl+Shift+V ( or Cmd+Shift+V ) to glue plain text without initialise inside the internet browser ?
If you know there ’s something you want to automate and there is n’t already a keyboard or black eye crosscut that works , you could evencreate your own shortcutsfor Windows and macOS . In the end you ’ve got no excuse for not using a few shortcut to optimize the style you work .
9) Cut down on your typing
Speaking of keyboards — which we were just sing about above — you could usually find ways of rush along up your typewriting on pretty much every mobile and desktop political program . The secret is making function of macro instruction — small combination of key stroke that automatically expand to form full sentences .
If you open up Keyboard from System Preferences on a Mac , then switch to the Text tab , you ’ll see you’re able to make a few of these macros to rush through your instant messenger conversations , e-mail , and documents . There ’s no built - in tool for Windows , butAutoHotkeyis an fantabulous third - company option . you may also findsimilar options availablein Android and iOS .
These sort of feature film are finding their way inside applications on the desktop and on Mobile River as well . You might have noticed Gmail can nowpredict what you ’re going to typecast , if you want it to . To turn on the Smart Compose feature on the WWW , you need to tick off Enable experimental access code under General on the preferences screen .
10) Speed through podcasts and videos
If you ’re finding you do n’t have enough hour in the day , why not stress rush up the podcasts you take heed to and the videos you take in ? You might get some level of torture along the means but you ’ll be finished faster — perfect for the cognitive content you ’re not too interested in but finger you have to get through .
Plenty of podcast players can do this trick , include Overcast and Pocket Casts , so check insider the preferences for your app of pick to see what ’s available . Inthe new - ish Google Podcasts appfor Android , for instance , tap the 1.0x button in the low left-hand - hired man turning point of the main playback windowpane .
Likewise , several media players for Mobile River and background can speed up through your videos if needed . Take VLC Media Player for Windows and macOS , where you may pick out Speed from the Playback menu ; or there ’s the YouTube mobile app , where you may solicit the computer menu release ( the three dots ) on top of a clip to find the Playback speed option .
11) Get aggressive with your email filters
Whatever e-mail client you apply , it ’ll probably have some sort of filtering feature — we’ve written before about the filter you could do up inGmail , Outlook , and other background and web lotion to get your email triaged as it arrive .
One of the most effectual ways to apply email filter is toset up unlike addressesfor unlike purposes . You could have an e-mail for work correspondence , for instance , then one for signing up for accounts and services , and one for sign on up for newssheet , and one that only your close family and friends bang about . Collect all your emailsin one app and you’re able to employ the addresses to filter them .
mayhap you ’ve already mother so many filters you do n’t know where to bug out , or maybe you ’ve tried percolate your email many times before and render up . Use the kickoff of 2019 as a rationality to get them refreshed and updated again .
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