Posts Tagged: drag and drop

Email Tips / Internet Tips — 2 Comments
2
Jul 09

Gmail adds MORE functionality to Labels – Video Tip

Yesterday, Google added drag and drop functionality to the already stupendous Labels feature. Adding drag and drop label organization further enhances the lead Gmail already holds on all other email systems…desktop or web based. Make sure to watch my other Gmail videos if you are just beginning with Gmail, but this short video will give you a look at the further power being developed into Continue reading →

Computer User Group / Internet Tips — 2 Comments
11
Mar 08

Create Your OWN Personalized Newspaper Online – Video Tip

In this month’s group, we talked about and demonstrated how to set up a web page that can be personalized. I like to use a customized web page (portal) as my home page (first page that shows up when I start my browser). We looked at the Yahoo portal (My Yahoo) and the newer Google customized home page.

Both services require that you register and setup a user name and password. Once you register, you can customize your page to include weather information, stock portfolios, sports news and scores, news from industries or topics that you choose, comics, and even content from other web pages. Both services are free and give you the flexibility to add, subtract and edit any type of data that you choose.

  • After you sign in, first look for the "X" in the upper right hand corner of each content box. This "X" lets you close (remove) that section from your page.
  • Once you close all the sections you don’t want, look for the "edit" button on the sections you left to add, change or customize content for that area (add or subtract headlines or information for that topic area).
  • Next, click on the Add Content option to add additional topics to your customized page.
  • Use that Change Layout to customize colors, number of columns and more.
  • Last, both services let you drag and drop sections to arrange the order and position of your custom content.

One other way you can really add a personal touch to your custom home page (online newspaper) is by adding your own favorite content. The best way to do this is add RSS feeds to your page. Read our RSS tips for more information about this great service offered by many web sites: RSS – Part I, RSS – Part II.

Once you put all this work in to create a custom web page of information, make sure you change your browser’s home page to your new custom page (these steps will work in both Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer):

1. Bring up your new custom page

2. Click Tools –> Options from the menus

3. Click "Use Current" under the home page box.

4. Click Apply and OK at the bottom of the page

To see how all this is done visually, please watch our video below:

Ubuntu Tips — 1 Comment
13
Sep 07

Drag and Drop in Ubuntu Linux – Video Tip

Interestingly, because of the security setup in Ubuntu, drag and drop file management (ability to drag files from one folder to another) doesn’t work without a little tweaking. I’m still learning the ins and outs of how Ubuntu is put together and how the all powerful “root” user corresponds to some commands or programs we want to run in Ubuntu.

Opening programs as the “root” user has the potential of creating some security or stability issues, but this small tweak seems to be universally accepted. To read more about drag and drop, the hack and how they relate to the Linux root user, read this forum thread on the Ubuntu Forum site.

What I demonstate in the video below is how to create a launcher item (shortcut) on your Ubuntu panel to open the file manager (Nautilus) in a mode that allows you to drag and drop files from folder to folder.

  1. RIGHT Click any panel
  2. Click Add to panel
  3. Click the Custom Application Launcher button
  4. Type a name for your new Launch icon
  5. Type the following the command line:  gksudo nautilus
  6. Click the No icon button to bring up a list of icons you can choose from for your new launch button
  7. Click OK twice
  8. Click Close 

Now your accessing your file manager (Nautilus) from this panel button allows you to drag and drop!

Windows Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Drag and Drop

Over the past few weeks, we discussed the usefulness of cut, copy and paste. Another great skill to have at your disposal is “drag and drop”. With very few exceptions, drag and drop requires your mouse.

To drag and drop an object, click and hold the left mouse button on the file, object, or text and then move (drag) the mouse to its destination. It is the same exact maneuver computer users use every day to play solitaire and move the cards from stack to stack.

Here are some other examples:

* Want to delete an unused icon from your desktop? Click on the icon and hold the mouse button down while dragging it to the Recycle Bin. Once over the Recycle Bin, release the mouse button and the icon disappears.
* To move a file from your desktop or some other location to My Documents, click and drag the file to the My Documents icon and release.
* To move text around in an email or word processing document, highlight the text to move, click and hold the highlighted text with your left mouse button and drag it to the new destination.
* Want to create a new icon on your desktop for quicker access to a favorite program? RIGHT click and drag the program’s entry on the Program’s list to your desktop, release the button and choose Copy from the menu.

There are many other uses from opening files, to printing files, to backing up files that drag and drop can be used. Experiment and benefit from this fun and useful tip.

Hardware Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Save Files to your ZIP, CDR/RW or other Removable Media Quickly

First, create a shortcut to your drive on the desktop following these steps:

1. Double-click on My Computer
2. Drag the icon of your removable disk to the desktop
3. When you let go of the mouse, the computer will inform you that you can’t move the item there, but would you like to create a shortcut…answer ‘yes’

Now that you have the icon for you drive in place, you can simply drag and drop files or folders right to this icon for quick and easy copying!

The new desktop drive icon is also a great way to read what’s on a zip or CD disk.

Although I keep referring to zip disks and CD’s, this technique can be used with floppy disks and flash drives as well.