IT Tips - October 2012

It Tips – October 2012 

One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.
Three, four, better lock your door.
Five, six, grab your crucifix.
Seven, eight, gonna stay up late.
Nine, ten, never sleep again.

Happy Halloween!

 

What’s Inside:

Tech Section

·         The Cisco Phone Directory

·         Keep your Laptop Cool

Kudos

·         Thanks Tatro! 

The Cisco Phone Directory

Are you always forgetting to update your office phone list? Are you so environmentally conscious that you refuse to waste paper printing the phone list? Don’t worry, technology is here to help.

Our office phones have the company directory built right in! You can search for your co-worker’s phone extension without taking your eyes off the phone.

I haven’t printed a phone list since 2009, please continue.

To search the phone directory, you must press the ‘directories’ button on your phone.

 

Next, choose option #5, ‘Corporate Directory’.

From here you can search by First name, last name, or phone number.

Note: when searching by phone number you will need to include 1 + the area code and full number (EX: 14136443115). You cannot search by an extension.

When searching by name, it is not necessary to enter the entire name. It’s actually possible to search the directory by a single letter. (For example, you could search for all employees whose first name starts with ‘A’.)

In this example, I’m searching for that helpful IT guy, Keith.

You will use the number pad on your phone to enter the search criteria.

 

The horror!!

 

Remember the joy of texting on your old flip-phone (I know, it’s painful)? Entering your search criteria is like text messaging on that old flip-phone. Simply press the number with the corresponding letter in succession until the desired letter appears. I pressed 55 33 444 to enter KEI.

 

If you make a mistake simply press the << button to erase the most recently entered character.

Now that your search criterion has been entered, press the ‘Search’ button.

That’s all there is to it! You can press dial and there was no need to find your phone list.

 

Keep your Laptop Cool

A Productivity Monster!!!
 Kidding... it's a Rancor from Star Wars...

You wonderful people working in the field are never forgotten. I have a quick tip for you productivity monsters out there: don’t block the vents! J

Computers get warm.  The electricity pulsing through your computer’s circuits create heat. The heat must be managed or it can be detrimental to the laptop's performance and longevity. That is where the fan and vents come in to play.

The computer’s processor generates the most heat. The processor is essentially the brain of the computer and it’s usually thinking hard. Your laptop has vents primarily to keep the processor’s temperature in check. Cool air is drawn in the bottom; hot air is blown out the side. This ventilation allows the processor to think hard and make the magic displayed on your screen.

The vents look like this:

Bottom (intake):

Side (exhaust):

 

It’s very important to avoid placing the laptop on soft surfaces. Blankets, plush couches and beds can conform to the shape of the laptop, completely blocking the vents. Unable to exchange the heat inside, the computer’s temperature will continually increase until an onboard failsafe powers the computer off.

Make no mistake, if the computer powers off due to a thermal condition, the file you just edited for 3 hours without saving is likely gone.

Where should I place my laptop?

Your laptop should be placed on a hard, flat surface. The little rubber feet on the bottom are there to allow airflow under the laptop. If you are working on your bed or a couch, place the laptop on a hardcover book or something else flat to let your machine breathe. 

Kudos

Christopher Tatro recommended the Cisco phone directory tip. Thank you Chris!
 

Have a great month, everyone!

-Keith

Please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if you have a something that you think will make a good tip. You’ll get credit on the blog for your contribution and I might give you a high-five!