Paul McFedries

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2024

A wide range of tools is available that are designed to help big businesses and small take advantage of the data science revolution. Among the most essential of these tools are Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, SQL, and the R and Python programming languages.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-26-2024

Can't wait to use your new iPad? The Apple iPad neatly combines an audio and video iPod, an e-book reader, a powerful internet communications device, a handheld gaming device, and a platform for millions of apps. After you open the box and see what’s inside, you need to know about its buttons and controls and how to use the multitouch display. And if you ever catch your iPad behaving badly, check out the five tips for setting your iPad back on track.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-05-2024

One of the handiest features of web coding and development is that once you’ve learned a few basics, you can apply those basics to any project. A good example is the underlying structure of a page, which uses the same set of standard HTML tags, no matter how large or small the project. It’s also worth your time to learn how selectors work, because you use them to save you time both when you’re writing CSS rules and when you’re writing JavaScript code. Errors, too, are a fact of web coding life, so understanding the most common errors can help you debug your code faster and get back to more creative pursuits.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-25-2023

One of the bonuses you get when you tackle HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is that after you learn a few basics, you can apply those basics to any project. A good example is the underlying structure of a page, which uses the same set of standard HTML tags, no matter how large or small the project. It’s also worth your time to learn the most powerful CSS selectors, because you use those selectors all the time to speed up your work when you’re writing rules. Programming errors, too, are a fact of web coding life, so understanding the most useful JavaScript debugging strategies can help you fix your code faster and get back to more creative pursuits.

Video / Updated 09-08-2023

Alexa works as a smart-home controller, so it can recognize and work with multiple devices from multiple manufacturers. An Alexa device such as an Echo or Echo Spot is an example of such a controller. Devices Alexa can control (like thermostats, speakers, TVs, and so on) just have to be compatible. You must make sure you get smart-home devices that are compatible with your controller, so be sure to buy items that are Alexa compatible. Smart-home devices are all the rage. Using apps on smart phones or simple voice commands from Alexa, you can control light bulbs, thermostats, garage door openers, security cameras, and so much more. To get your Alexa device to connect to and operate smart-home devices, you'll be using either your home’s Wi-Fi network or a direct Bluetooth connection. In most cases, the connection procedure involves two steps: For a Wi-Fi connection, use the manufacturer’s app to give Alexa permission to connect to the device. Enable the manufacturer’s device skill to update Alexa with the voice commands needed to operate the device. How to set up a smart home with Alexa If your smart-home device is Wi-Fi-friendly, go to your mobile device app store and install the manufacturer’s app. Then follow these steps to get your Wi-Fi smart-home device set up in the app: 1. Plug in and, if required, turn on the smart-home device. 2. Open the smart-home device manufacturer’s app. 3. Initiate the procedure for setting up a new device. Look for a command named Add or Add [manufacturer] Device (where manufacturer is the name of the company), or just a big plus sign (+). The setup routine will tell the device to broadcast its Wi-Fi network. 4. Open your mobile device’s Wi-Fi settings and look for the device’s Wi-Fi network. 5. Tap the device network to connect to it. 6. When the connection is complete, return to the device app. The app automatically detects the new network and uses the connection to set up the device. This usually involves giving the device a name. You’ll often have to set up an account with the manufacturer, as well. 7. The app will usually ask for your Wi-Fi credentials, which enables the device to connect to and operate over your network. Having the device on your network is also how Alexa discovers and operates the device, so this step is important. 8. If you see a notice asking whether you want to upgrade the smart-home device firmware, by all means tap Yes or Allow or Update or whatever button answers in the affirmative. With your smart-home device installed, you can view it and rename it if you so desire in the Alexa app. Just tap the Devices icon to open the Devices screen, and from there, you can change the settings for your device. Discover Smart-Home Devices Using an Alexa skill If you’re not using an Alexa device that includes a smart-home hub (such as the Echo Plus and second-generation Echo Show), then you usually need to upgrade Alexa to work with your smart-home device. You upgrade Alexa by enabling the device manufacturer’s Alexa skill. This not only lets Alexa discover the device but also upgrades Alexa with the voice commands that enable you operate the device. 1. Install the manufacturer’s app and use it to get your smart-home device on your Wi-Fi network. 2. In the Alexa app, tap Devices. 3. Tap the Add button (+) that appears in the top-right corner. 4. Tap Add Device. The Alexa app displays icons for some popular brands and some device categories. 5. Tap the category that fits your device, and then tap the manufacturer. The Alexa app prompts you to perform the duties I outline in Step 1. You’ve done all that, so proceed. 6. Tap Continue. The Alexa app opens the information page for the manufacturer’s Alexa skill. 7. Tap Enable. At this point, what happens next depends on the skill, but you’ll usually have to perform one or both of the following: Use the smart-home device app to give Alexa permission to access the device. Link Alexa to the user account associated with the smart-home device. 8. When you’re done, tap Close (X) to return to the skill page. 9. Tap Discover Devices. The Alexa app uses the manufacturer’s Alexa skill to search for available devices. 10. Tap Done. With a manufacturer’s Alexa skill enabled, you can discover new devices by following steps 1 through 5 and then tapping Discover Devices, or you can ask Alexa to run the following voice command: “Alexa, discover my devices.” Control Smart-Home Devices with Alexa Devices Alexa can control are any Alexa-compatible plugs, lights, thermostats, garage door openers, security devices, speaker, TVs, and so on. There are actually three methods you can use to control a smart-home device: Voice commands: This is how you’ll operate most of your smart-home devices, and the rest of this section takes you through the most common voice commands for a selection of smart-home devices. Alexa app: If you have your Alexa device microphone turned off, you can still use the Alexa app to control your smart-home devices. Tap Devices, tap the device type (or All Devices), and then tap the device you want to mess with. The screen that appears contains the controls you can use. Alexa device with a screen: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the status bar, and then tap the icon for the device type (such as a bulb icon for your smart lights, plugs, and switches). Note, too, that after you issue a smart-home device-related command to an Alexa device with a screen, you see some device controls on the screen for a few seconds. Turn smart plugs on and off with Alexa A smart plug is an electrical outlet that you can control with voice commands. The smart outlet plugs into a regular electrical outlet for power and then you plug a non-smart device — such as a lamp or coffeemaker — into the smart outlet. Voilà! You now have voice control over the dumb device. Note, however, that “control” here just means turning the device on and off using the following voice commands: “Alexa, turn [device name] on.” “Alexa, turn [device name] off.” Replace device name with the name you gave to the smart plug using either the manufacturer’s app or the Alexa app. Work with smart lights and Alexa Another easy and relatively inexpensive way to get your smart-home feet wet is with a smart lightbulb or two. You can buy a smart bulb for less than $20, and installing it is as easy as changing any regular lightbulb. You can also get smart bulbs that change brightness without a separate dimmer switch and that can display different colors. Here are the voice commands to use to turn a smart lightbulb or light switch on or off: “Alexa, turn [device name] on.” “Alexa, turn [device name] off.” For dimmable smart lights (or smart dimmer switches), use any of the following voice commands: “Alexa, brighten [device name].” “Alexa, dim [device name].” “Alexa, set [device name] brightness to [number] percent.” For smart lights that support different colors, use these voice commands: “Alexa, set [device name] to warm white.” “Alexa, set [device name] to cool white.” “Alexa, set [device name] to [color].” (For example, “Alexa, set Chill Room to blue.”) Control smart thermostats with Alexa A smart thermostat gives you voice control over not only the thermostat mode — for example, switching between heating and cooling — but also the temperature setting. You can also interrogate a smart thermostat to learn the current temperature setting. After you’ve installed a smart thermostat, you can control it using the following voice commands: “Alexa, set [device name] to cool.” “Alexa, set [device name] to heat.” “Alexa, set [device name] to auto.” “Alexa, set [device name] to off.” “Alexa, set [device name] to [number] degrees.” “Alexa, increase [device name] by [number] degrees.” “Alexa, decrease [device name] by [number] degrees.” “Alexa, what is [device name]’s temperature?” “Alexa, what is [device name] set to?” Keep an eye on things with Alexa and smart cameras Smart cameras come in both outdoor versions and indoor versions. Outdoor cameras are usually called security cameras or surveillance cameras. You can also get a smart doorbell that has a built-in camera that activates whenever someone rings the bell. If you have an Alexa device with a screen, you can show the smart camera’s feed right on your screen by saying the following voice command: “Alexa, show [device name].” To turn off the camera feed, issue the following voice command: “Alexa, hide [device name].” Other Types of Smart-Home Devices That Work with Alexa Here’s a quick summary (in no particular order) of what’s out there that’s Alexa-friendly: Smart speakers: Echo isn’t the only smart speaker game in town. Big-time audio companies such as Bose, Denon, and Sonos have their own smart speakers that have Alexa built in. Smart locks: These are door locks that you can control with your voice. Smart sprinklers: You can control and schedule garden and lawn watering with a smart sprinkler system. Smart TVs: This is a television or remote that you can control by voice. Smart appliances: These are kitchen appliances that you can operate with voice commands. Amazon’s new Alexa-friendly microwave is the latest addition to this category. Smart vacuums: Why push a vacuum yourself when you can have a robot vacuum that you control via voice?

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-06-2023

Macs come in all shapes and sizes, but you turn all of them on and off, and do things with the keyboard and mouse or trackpad the same way. This Cheat Sheet of timesaving keyboard shortcuts, mouse and trackpad actions, Mac-related websites, and definitions can help you get the most from your Mac right away.

Article / Updated 07-29-2022

The folks at Fitbit are well aware of the significant benefits that accrue when you make your self-tracking public, so they’ve built tons of social features, like making friends, into the Fitbit app. You might be leery of letting Fitbit rummage around in your contacts, but the company promises not to send anything to a contact without your permission. If that seems reasonable, you need to give the Fitbit app permission to access your contacts and then send your request: 1. In the Fitbit app, select Community. 2. Select the Friends tab. The Friends tab is where the Fitbit app will eventually list all your friends, ranked in descending order of total steps taken over the past week. For now, it’s either empty or you see just yourself, as shown in the Android version in the following figure. 3. Select the Add Friend icon (labeled in the figure). 4. Select the Contacts tab. 5. Give Fitbit permission to access your contacts: Android: Tap Enable, and when your Android asks you to confirm, tap Allow. iOS: Tap Connect Contacts, and when iOS asks you to confirm, tap OK. Windows 10: Select Open Settings to run the Settings app, which automatically displays the Contacts tab of the Privacy page. Select Change, turn on the Contacts Access for This Device switch, and then turn on the Fitbit switch. Restart the Fitbit app, repeat Steps 1 through 4, and then skip to Step 6. (Note that the switch is green when it’s on.) The Fitbit app’s Contacts tab now displays two lists. At the top you see X Contacts with Fitbit, where X is the number of people the Fitbit app found in your contacts who have a Fitbit account. Below that list you see the Contacts without Fitbit list. 6. Select the Add Friend icon beside the contact you want to add. The Add Friend icon turns into a clock icon, indicating that the app is waiting for the other person to accept (or — horrors! — reject) your friend request. How to send a friend request to your Facebook friends If you know some people on Facebook who have a Fitbit, it might be easier to add them as Fitbit friends by letting the Fitbit app scour your Facebook connections. Fitbit claims that they won’t reach out to any Facebook friend without asking you first, so why not? Before this can happen, you have to give the Fitbit app permission to access your Facebook account. In the sections that follow, you give Fitbit permission to access your Facebook account. If, down the road, you want to revoke that permission, you have to do it on the Facebook site. Log in to your Facebook account, select Settings→Apps and Websites, select the Fitbit check box, and then select Remove. Using the Fitbit app to send a Facebook friend request Here are the steps to follow to ship out a request to a Facebook friend by using the Fitbit app: 1. Select Community. 2. Select the Friends tab. 3. Select the Add Friend icon (labeled in the figure). 4. Select the Facebook tab. 5. Select Connect Facebook. The app prompts you to log in to your Facebook account. 6. Enter your Facebook login credentials, and then select Log In. A screen shows you what Facebook permissions you’re giving to the Fitbit app. 7. Select Continue as Name, where Name is your first name. The Fitbit app connects to your Facebook account and examines your friends to see which of them have Fitbit accounts. The Fitbit app’s Facebook tab now displays a list of your Facebook friends who have a Fitbit account. 8. Select the Add Friend icon beside the Facebook friend you want to add. The Add Friend icon turns into a clock icon, indicating that the app is waiting for the other person to accept (or summarily reject) your friend request. Using Fitbit.com to send a Facebook friend request Here are the steps to follow to send a request to a Facebook friend by using Fitbit.com: 1. Go to Fitbit app and log in to your account. 2. In the Friends tile, select Connect Facebook. Fitbit prompts you to log in to your Facebook account. 3. Enter your Facebook login credentials, and then select Log In. A screen shows you what Facebook permissions you’re giving to the Fitbit app. 4. Select Continue as Name, where Name is your first name. Fitbit connects to your Facebook account. After a few moments, the Friends tile displays a list of your Facebook friends who have a Fitbit account. 5. Select the Add Friend button beside the person you want to add. By default, Fitbit displays only a few Facebook friends in the Friends tile. To see the rest of your Fitbit-connected Facebook friends, hover the mouse pointer over the Friends tile, select See More and then select the Show All link that appears above your Facebook friends list (which Fitbit labels May We Suggest). The Add Friend icon turns into a clock icon, indicating that Fitbit is waiting for the other person to accept (or — say it isn’t so — reject) your friend request. How to send a friend request by email If you know the email address of a person’s Fitbit account, you can send a friend request to that email address. Using the Fitbit app to send an email friend request Here are the steps to follow to send an email friend request by using the Fitbit app: 1. In the Fitbit app, select Community. 2. Select the Friends tab. 3. Select the Add Friend icon (labeled in the figure). 4. Select the Email tab. 5. Enter the person’s email address. When the address is complete, the Fitbit app displays a friend request for that person. 6. Select the Add Friend icon beside the friend request. The Add Friend icon turns into a clock icon, indicating that the app is waiting for the other person to accept (or — boo! — reject) your friend request. Using Fitbit.com to send an email friend request Here are the steps to follow to send one or more email friend requests using Fitbit.com: 1. Go to Fitbit and log in to your account. 2. In the Friends tile, select Invite Friends. If you’ve already connected your Facebook account to Fitbit, you won’t see the Invite Friends link. Instead, hover your mouse pointer over the Friends tile, select Find Friends and then select Invite by Email. Fitbit displays the Invite Friends by Email window. 3. In the Email Addresses text box, enter an email address for each person you want to invite. When you complete an address, type a space or a comma or press tab to complete the address and move to the next one. Fitbit displays a sneak peek of your friend request in the Message Preview pane. 4. When you’ve entered all your addresses, select Send Invitation. Fitbit ships out your friend requests. How to send a friend request by using a Fitbit username If you know a person’s Fitbit username, follow these steps to send a friend request to that person: 1. In the Fitbit app, select Community. 2. Select the Friends tab. 3. Select the Add Friend icon (labeled in the figure). 4. Select the Username tab. 5. Enter the person’s username. When the username is complete, the Fitbit app displays a friend request for that person. 6. Select the Add Friend icon beside the friend request. The Add Friend icon turns into a clock icon, indicating that the app is waiting for the other person to accept (or ungratefully reject) your friend request.

Article / Updated 07-28-2022

The Amazon Alexa equivalent of apps are called skills. Like a mobile device, Alexa can do a few things out of the box, such as playing music or audiobooks, telling you the time or the weather, and making voice or video calls. But if you want to know how to use Alexa to perform more specialized tasks, then you need to add the appropriate skills from the Amazon Alexa skills list. It's pretty much the same as adding new apps to your smart phone. What kinds of skills can you add? Well, more than 50,000 skills are available in categories such as Business & Finance, Education & Reference, Games, Trivia & Accessories, and Smart Home, so the sky is pretty much the limit. Want to hail an Uber or Lyft ride? There are skills for that. Want to know what’s on TV tonight? There’s a skill for that. Want to play an adventure game or challenge you and your family with some trivia? There are skills for those, too. How to find top Alexa skills The skill equivalent of an app store is Amazon’s Alexa Skills list, which you can access in one of two ways: On the web: Use your favorite web browser to surf to www.amazon.com (or your local Amazon domain, such as www.amazon.ca for Canada), and then choose Departments→Echo & Alexa→Alexa Skills. In the Alexa app: Choose Menu→Skills & Games. By default, the Alexa app doesn’t show skills that were designed specifically for children. To see those skills, you need to adjust your settings. Choose Menu→Settings→Alexa Account→Kid Skills, and then tap the Allow Kid Skills switch to On. (If you don’t see the Kid Skills item, it means that feature hasn’t been rolled out in your location just yet.) Whether you’re using the web or the app, you see a few featured skills upfront, and you also get a search box to locate specific skills. However, when you’re just starting out, it’s usually best to examine the various skill categories, which are listed on the left side of the web page. In the Alexa app, tap the Categories button to see the list. Select a category to see what’s available. If something looks interesting, select the skill to open its info page, which gives you a description of the skill, voice commands you can use, user ratings, and any permissions that are required (such as allowing notifications or giving your address for a delivery skill). You may also see these two phrases, which require a little explanation: In-Skill Purchases Available: The skill offers extra features or content that you can purchase while using the skill. Account Linking Required: The skill requires access to a third-party user account. For example, if you want to use a ride-sharing service such as Lyft or Uber, both of which offer Alexa skills, you must give the skill permission to access your user account on the service, a process called account linking. How to use Alexa Skills If you locate a skill that looks fun, entertaining, or useful, go ahead and give it a try (hey, it’s free, remember?). To use a skill with Alexa, you must enable it. Enable an Alexa skill with a voice command To enable a skill with your voice, use either of the following commands: “Alexa, enable [skill].” “Alexa, open [skill].” Here, skill is the so-called invocation name of the skill: a word or phrase unique to the skill. How in the name of Jeff Bezos are you supposed to know a skill’s invocation name? That’s available on the skill’s info page, in the Skill Details section. Alexa tells you the skill is enabled and then invokes the skill. The first time the skill runs, you usually get a brief introduction and some suggested commands or tasks. If the skill requires permission from you to access information on your Alexa device, you can’t enable the skill with a voice command. Instead, you have to use the Alexa app. Enable an Alexa skill using the Alexa app You can also enable a skill using the Alexa app, as shown in the following steps: In the Alexa app, choose Menu→Skills & Games. Locate the skill you want to enable. Tap the skill to open its information page. Tap Enable. If the skill requires extra permissions from you, you see the Skill Permissions dialog. If you see the Skill Permissions dialog, set the permission switch or switches to On or Off, as desired, and then tap Save Permissions. Alexa enables the skill. 30 Cool Alexa skills to try With more than 50,000 skills available, finding a useful, fun, or entertaining skill is a true needle-in-the-proverbial-haystack exercise. Who has time to comb through either a haystack or Amazon’s Alexa Skills list? If you’re just not sure where to begin, let me help. Here are 30 ready-to-enable skills that you can take for a test drive. Top Alexa skills for daily living AnyPod: A podcast skill that enables you to add podcasts to your library, sync your listening history to your Alexa device, and much more. Invocation name: anypod. Lyft: Enables you to use Alexa to hail a Lyft. Account linking is required. Invocation name: lyft. Mastermind: An all-purpose AI-driven assistant that you can use to send text messages and emails, make phone calls, search the web, and tons more. Invocation name: mastermind. Uber: Enables you to use Alexa to hail an Uber. Account linking is required. Invocation name: uber. Top Amazon Alexa skills for news, weather, and information Big Sky: A weather skill that goes well beyond the default Alexa weather report. Account linking is required. Invocation name: big sky. CBC: News, music, or a specific Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio One station. Invocation name: CBC. Curiosity: This skill asks you to choose between two topics and then tells you interesting facts about the topic you chose. Invocation name: curiosity. Feels Like: Tells you what the current temperature in your location feels like, meaning the wind-chill temperature in winter and the humidex in summer. Invocation name: feels like. Learn Something Radio: Plays daily new episodes from some of the web’s most learned brands, including NPR, 99% Invisible, and Freakonomics Radio. Invocation name: learn something radio. NPR News Now: News stories from National Public Radio, delivered via Alexa’s Flash Briefing. Invocation name: npr news now. SAT Word of the Day: Presents a new word each day, spells the word, and uses it in a sample sentence. Invocation name: s-a-t word of the day. TED Talks: Gives you audio access to all the TED Talks. Invocation name: ted talks. The Daily Show: A satiric takes on the day’s news stories, delivered as part of your Flash Briefing. Invocation name: the daily show. This Day in History: Tells you the top historical event that occurred on the current day of the year. Invocation name: this day in history. Translated: Translates short phrases from English into more than three dozen languages, from American Spanish to Welsh. Invocation name: translated. Top Amazon Alexa skills for health, fitness, and safety 7-Minute Workout: Daily workouts that aim to improve strength and aerobic fitness in just seven minutes. Invocation name: seven-minute workout. Burglar Deterrent: Protects your home when you’re out by playing realistic audio for activities such as talking, cleaning, and cooking to make it seem as though someone’s home. Invocation name: burglar deterrent. Mayo Clinic First Aid: Provides first-aid instructions for common injuries and illnesses. Invocation name: mayo first aid. What to Expect: Daily tips and advice during pregnancy. Invocation name: what to expect. Top Amazon Alexa skills for inspiration Headspace: Provides guided meditations, including a new guided meditation each day. Invocation name: headspace. Inspire Me: Inspirational quotations from famous people (who do the talking instead of Alexa) that you can invoke at random, by speaker, or by topic. Invocation name: inspire me. Top Alexa skills for cooking (and drinking) The Bartender: Delivers cocktail recipes. Invocation name: the bartender. Meat Thermometer: Say a type of meat (such as “steak”) and how you want it cooked (such as “medium rare”), and this app tells you the internal temperature to shoot for. Invocation name: meat thermometer. MySomm: A wine-pairing skill. That is, given a food, the skill suggests a wine to go with it. Invocation name: wine gal. Top Amazon Alexa skills for fun and relaxation Akinator: Think of a real or fictional character and this skill guesses the name of that character after asking a few questions. Invocation name: akinator. Alexa Things to Try: Gives you a daily Alexa tip and news on the latest Alexa features as part of your Flash Briefing. Invocation name: flash briefing. Amazon Storytime: Plays professionally narrated short stories for kids aged 5 through 12. Invocation name: amazon storytime. Ambient Sounds: A collection of sound loops to help you sleep, relax, or block out noises. There are a few dozen sounds in all, including thunderstorms, windy trees, and fireplace. Invocation name: ambient sounds. The Magic Door: An interactive adventure game. Invocation name: the magic door. The Wayne Investigation: An interactive mystery game where the choices you make as you investigate a mystery affect the outcome of the story. Invocation name: the wayne investigation. Many of these skills are only available in certain countries. If you don’t see the skill either in Amazon’s Alexa Skills list or in the Alexa app, it means the skill isn’t available where you live.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-14-2022

G Suite offers a huge number of keyboard shortcuts that not only enable you to navigate the app interfaces quickly but also let you easily invoke many app features and settings. Here, you see some of the more useful shortcuts that are common to the G Suite apps, as well as some handy shortcuts you can use with Gmail and Calendar. Do you need to memorize them all? Don't be silly. But read through the lists — you'll probably find two or three that you'll use every day.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

Having a Fitbit is all about getting fit and living a healthier lifestyle by tracking what you do and what you eat each day. Sure, you can try keeping all your activities and meals in your head, but believe me that doesn’t work. It’s always better just to let your Fitbit handle the hard part, which leaves you free to focus on the bigger picture. This Cheat Sheet helps you with that broader view by telling you everything — yes, everything — you need to know to get and maintain health and fitness. You also learn the most useful Fitbit account settings.