Has Tech-Talk Improved Your Tech Skills Yet?

The East Greenbush Library provides technology help in a variety of formats. We conduct classes, offer one-on-one assistance by appointment, post help videos, and have a page dedicated to online help articles and videos gathered from vetted websites around the internet. Did you know we also have a subscription resource available to our patrons with great articles, videos, and webinars for users of all skill levels? Whether you’re a technology pro or you’re just getting started, Tech-Talk has something for everyone.

While we’ve featured Tech-Talk and some of their articles before, this time we’ve made a quick video to highlight how to find what you are looking for in Tech-Talk. Can’t find what you’re looking for? You can submit requests for future articles and videos on whatever tech topic you need.

If you’d like to receive a weekly quick tip from Tech-Talk in your inbox, along with information about upcoming webinars, sign up for the Tech-Talk newsletter on the main page.

Have you tried Tech-Talk yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Using Canva for Video

Our last post highlighted Snagit as an image and video editing tool, so we thought we’d highlight another popular graphic editing tool – Canva. You may have used Canva as an image editing tool, but did you know it can also edit videos?

If you aren’t familiar with Canva, you may want to start with this introductory webinar and article to get an overview.

The Canva: Getting Started webinar goes into more detail about Canva basics and starting a design from scratch.

The next video/article in the series, Canva: Graphic Design, focuses on more advanced concepts to make eye-catching designs and collaborate with teams.

When you are comfortable creating and editing still images, you can dive into the new video-creation features Canva has to offer intermediate users. Tech-Talk created two webinars about creating video in Canva:

Have you tried making videos in Canva? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Email Scams Part 2 – 4 Ways to Protect Your Computer and Files

In an earlier post, we highlighted a Tech-Talk article with tips for identifying scam emails. Beyond being careful about clicking a link in a questionable email, there are some things you can do right now to protect your computer from becoming compromised in the event a scam evades detection.

One thing you can do is to make sure your device’s operating system and its apps/software are up-to-date. This means actions like performing Windows Updates when prompted or checking the app store to make sure your apps are all updated to the latest version.

For more tips on securing your computer and files from scams, check out this Tech-Talk article and video. If you have questions about how to use any of these tips, please let us know in the comments or contact the Reference Desk at the library, 518-477-7476, option 5.

Dump the Literal Approach to Images

Images do a great job of helping written ideas to be understood. Often, writers search for an image that literally depicts they subject they are discussing. However, an image that directly shows your subject may not be as engaging as one that simply reinforces the idea of what you are writing about.

To learn more, check out this Tech-Talk article about thinking outside the box when choosing images to pair with written content. If you are prompted for a username and password, both are eglibrary.

How to Write Like a Professional

Wishing you could up your writing game, but you’re not sure where to turn? The folks at Tech-Talk have you covered with this webinar about professional writing.

Learn several “tricks” to ensure your writing is top-notch. Discover what professional editors know that ramps up text to a much higher level. No matter what you’re writing (instructions, reports, email) these techniques will have others impressed with the quality of your prose.