Get More Done with Your PC: Creative Solutions for Everyday Challenges

In our daily lives, we often face challenges that require us to think outside the box and find creative solutions. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve come across several challenges that forced me to find unique ways to get things done using my PC. In this article, I’ll share a motley collection of tips that might come in handy for you too.

Jott to Evernote

If you’re familiar with Evernote, you already know how incredibly useful it can be. Evernote is a note-taking and web-clipping application that syncs seamlessly across multiple devices. But what if you don’t have access to your computer or mobile device and still want to add a note? That’s where Jott comes in.

Jott is a messaging service that uses voice recognition. You can call the Jott number from your mobile phone, leave a message, and Jott will transcribe it into text and send it to your desired recipient. While I’ve written about the various ways you can use Jott before, I recently discovered a way to use it with Evernote.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Login to Evernote’s website and click on “Settings.” Copy your Evernote email address.
2. Login to Jott and click on “Add Contacts” on the right-hand side.
3. In the “Quick Add” screen, enter “Evernote” as the First Name (or any name you prefer) and paste your Evernote email address under the “Email” column.
4. Click on “Add.”

Now, whenever you call Jott, you can say “Evernote” as the recipient, dictate your message, and it will appear in Evernote a few minutes later.

But wait! Jott to Google Docs, too!

In addition to adding contacts for Evernote, you can also add your Google Docs email address to Jott. If you frequently use Google Docs or prefer it over Evernote, this can be a valuable tool for sending ideas or notes straight to your word processor.

To get your Google Docs email address, log in to Google Docs, click on “Import,” and scroll down to find your email address. Simply copy and paste it into Jott as a contact, add a name you’ll remember, and you’re good to go.

Export Audio from PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a widely used tool for presentations, but it can be challenging to share presentations with large audio files. By default, PowerPoint saves narrations in WAV format, which results in large file sizes. To solve this issue, follow these steps:

1. “Save As” your presentation in HTML format.
2. This will give you a folder with support files, including individual WAV files for each slide that contains audio.
3. Use a free tool like RazorLame to convert the WAV files to MP3 format with a lower bitrate, reducing the overall size.
4. If you want to email the presentation, replace the existing audio on each slide with the new MP3s. Otherwise, upload everything to SlideRocket or any other suitable platform.

Spellcheck and Word Count Everywhere

Enso Words is a handy application for Windows XP and Vista systems that provides system-wide spellcheck and word count capabilities. By using a simple keystroke combination, you can spellcheck or count the words in any selected text, regardless of the program you’re using. Here’s how to use it:

1. Install Enso Words, which runs in the background.
2. By default, Enso Words uses the Caps Lock key. Press Caps Lock + “s” to start the spellchecker and Caps Lock + “w” to get a word count.
3. If the default key doesn’t work for you, you can change it in the settings.

Enso Words is a convenient tool for those who work with various programs and prefer a single interface for spellchecking and word count.

Got a Random Tip?

If you’ve recently discovered a handy application or useful way to accomplish a task, feel free to share it in the comments below. Sharing knowledge and tips can help others overcome their challenges and improve productivity.

In conclusion, the world of technology offers us numerous opportunities to overcome everyday challenges and enhance our productivity. By using tools like Jott, Evernote, Google Docs, and Enso Words, we can find creative solutions to get more done with our PCs. So the next time you face a challenge, think outside the box and explore the vast possibilities that technology has to offer.