App of the Week – LiveSafe

LiveSafe_logoSo, first of all I would like to apologize for not posting anything for a while. I have been a little busy transferring from my old P14 position, to my new position as Annandale’s Webmaster (!!). Now I am situated, and ready to start blogging again.

While I was attending the orientation for this lovely job, I was told about this fantastic new app that has become available to the NOVA community and thought I just have to let you know about it immediately.

LiveSafe_ImageLiveSafe is a great app that gives you access to the right tools and information to keep yourself and your community safe. There are four main sections – Report Tips, Emergency, View Map, and SafeWalk.

Report Tips –  Send GPS tagged audio, video, picture, and text to the nearest authorities to report accidents, assaults, theft, disturbances, vandalism and suspicious activity.

Emergency – Call 911. Also call or text Campus Police.

View Map – View the latest alerts and crime reports in your area. Find the nearest medical facility, or gas station.

SafeWalk – Share your location with friends and chat on the go. Access a panic button if necessary. Walk by yourself with confidence.

LiveSafe is a free download onto your IOS or Android device. For more information go to: LiveSafeMobile.com

 

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Web Page to PDF in 4 Easy Steps

PDFLogoDid you know that you can save a Web page as a PDF file?

When you want to save information you find on the Internet, you can usually only save the page as an HTML document. Saving the page as a PDF makes it easier to print and to share via email.

1. Right-click on the page you want to save and choose “Print” (don’t choose “Save as…”)
HamburgerButtonor if you are using the Chrome browser click on the hamburger (three parallel lines) at the top right and choose “Print”
2. In the Printer or Destination option box, choose “Adobe PDF” or “Save as PDF”
3. Click “Print”
4. A dialogue box will open asking where you want to save your PDF. Browse to your location, and click on “Save.”

App of the Week – CardStar

CardstarLogoAs the avid shopper that I am, over the years, I have built up quite the collection of store cards, otherwise known as “points cards” “club cards” bonus cards” or “rewards cards”. I have been seen many a day holding up the checkout line while rummaging around in my purse for the right card, and you know I’m not the only one…. Some people collect the ‘credit’ sized cards, some people collect the mini cards and keep them on their key-chain. Either way, there are far too many of them, and as useful as they are, it’s just a pain trying to find the one you need right when you need it.

CardstarImage2CardStar is a great app to help you get rid of all of those annoying cards, but still get your points and discounts. Once you download the app onto your phone or tablet, you can start adding cards. CardStar allows you to enter the card number manually, or “scan” the bar code by taking a picture of it. Your cards are entered into CardStar in alphabetical order by the name of the store so they are easy to find when needed.

CardstarImage1When you enter the checkout line and are ready to access your store card, simply open CardStar, scroll down until you find the name of the store. Select the store name and allow the cashier to scan the bar code.

You also may notice that a little gift tag icon appears next to some of the store names. This means there is a store offer or coupon available. Click on the gift tag and follow the directions to access the offer.

Please note that CardStar doesn’t work for payment cards or credit cards, or for any card that uses a magnetic strip rather than a bar code.

 

Using your Google Drive

google-drive-iconDid you know all NOVA faculty, staff, and students have access to 30GB of storage space on your Google Drive? This is particularly important to know since NOVA’s IT department recently blocked all incoming e-mail containing compressed (Zip) files and executable attachments. Using your Google Drive is a good alternative way to transfer large and executable files.

Your Google Drive is accessed through your VCCS email address. An example of that is: jdoe@email.vccs.edu. We all have one, so if you don’t know yours, or don’t know your password, contact the IT department.

For those blog readers who are not faculty, staff, or students of NOVA, this is useful for you to know too. The only difference is you can access your Google Drive through a normal G-mail account. A normal G-mail account gives access to only 15GB of space, but that is still plenty.

Please click here for your PDF print out with step-by-step instructions on how to access and use your Google Drive.

GoogleDrive

And please feel free to contact us at the office, or via our Facebook page,  if you have any questions about accessing or using your Google Drive