This hack is a two-step process, but it's worth doing. By the end, you'll never have to give out your WiFi password again. First, visit this site (https://www.qrstuff.com) and use it to create a unique QR code based on your network details. Then visit Etsy for a QR code cross stitch to really add a touch of class to the whole thing. Mounted in a frame, it'll be something special for sure.

If you're filling out a form and want to quickly work your way through it, your Tab key is your friend. Each time you're done with a field and want to move on to the next one, just tap the Tab key and you'll be brought to your desired destination. If you need to go back for any reason, hold the Shift key down and hit Tab and you'll be brought back.

If you often find yourself using the same documents and don't want to waste time filling in everything each time you access them, consider turning them into a template in Word. The process is surprisingly easy.

Just open or create the document you want to turn into a template. Once it's ready to go, click File>Save As. Choose where you want to save it and when Word asks you to name the file, you'll see an option that says "Save as type." Instead of "Word Document," click the drop-down box and choose Word Template. Save it and you now have a template you can open from here on out and just fill in the important points.

If you're searching for something in Google but getting bogged down with irrelevant results, consider wrapping your query in quotes. By doing so, Google will only show results that exactly match whatever you might have in quotes. It often makes it easier to find what you're looking for.

Ever have trouble remember passwords? To address that, several companies offer password lockers that store all of your credentials in one place. So, if you need to find a password, just go into the app and find what you're looking for. If you want quicker password input, many of the lockers will automatically populate username and password fields so you don't need to.

Using a scroll bar -- or worse, arrow keys -- to move up and down a web page is tedious. So why not move up and down a page more quickly using the spacebar? Tapping on the spacebar on a web page will allow you to quickly scroll down. If you want to go back up, hold Shift while you tap the spacebar.

Did you forget to send an important file sitting on your computer at home? Rather than running home to get it, load up a remote desktop app on both a computer and your smartphone. You can remotely access your computer as if you're sitting in front of it, get the files you need, and transfer them to your other machine. There are a slew of remote desktop apps you can try, such as Join.me, Real VNC and Splashtop.

If you just can't find the words to say what you feel and need a little emoji help on the Mac, it won't take long to find the right option. Just hold down the CTRL, Command, and Spacebar at the same time and an emoji list will be displayed. Click your emoji of choice and you'll be good.

When you want to quickly open a link in a new tab, look to your mouse. After placing your cursor on the link, click down on your scroll wheel. It'll automatically open the link in a new tab and save you from opening a new tab, copying the link location, and pasting it in your browser.

Plugging in a USB cable the right way feels like a no-brainer. Then why do we get it wrong on the first try so often?

Here's the secret: Grab any USB cable sitting around your house. See that symbol on one side? It’s not just branding or decoration. That symbol will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally and if you're plugging a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face you. Now you know.

I know. Unbelievably boring. But really, if you don’t back up your stuff you are asking for trouble. And today, with the various back-up solutions available, there is no reason to have that icy cold feeling creeping up the back of your neck when you realize something really bad has just happened to your computer.

• If your software has an auto-save function, use it. How long should the interval be between auto-saves? I don’t know. How much work are you OK with re-doing? 10 minutes? 20 minutes? 2 minutes?

• Full-system backups. Today you can get external hard-drives, off-site network backups, and back-ups that occur while you sleep or while you work. One of my favourite backup utilities is SyncBack SE. The technology is cheap and easy to use. There is no excuse.

• Smart phone as backup. Your smart phone can do a lot of cool stuff. Did you know you can use it to store your contact information and calendar? A good smartphone like a Blackberry, IPhone, or Palm will easily store all of your contact information and your calendar, and keep it up to date. These phones come with software to allow you to synchronize data with your main computer. You can ensure that both devices have the same calendar and contact information. Never a bad idea. Which brings me to the next item…

Our minds can only hold about 4 – 7 pieces of information at one time. Why take up that precious memory capacity remembering to stop at the dry cleaner when you could be thinking about how to deepen relationships with customers?

There are many tools available for your smart phone and your computer that can manage your schedules and to-do lists. I prefer these tools to using paper. Why? For me, the big advantage of digital PIM tools over paper are:

• The information can be synchronized between devices (no book to lose or forget);

• They can actively remind you of things that need to be done (so you don’t to have to remember to check your book to remember what you need to do);

• They can be set to schedule your repeating events and reminders, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. This saves you the time of having to write every repeat event down. When the schedule changes you don’t have to erase and rewrite.

There are a variety of ways to get new music on to your computer or other device so you can listen to your favorite music any time you’re in the mood.

You have two options:

1. You can download music directly to your device, or;

2. You can use a streaming or cloud-based service to listen to music that acts like a custom radio station of just your favorite tunes.

Each method has its pros and cons.

How to Download Music

Downloading means it takes up space on your device, but it's always available whether you are online or not. This solution works great when you're traveling or where you might not have a reliable (or free) Internet connection. With no worries about connectivity, you can relax and enjoy the music.

A couple of options for downloading music free are MP3Jam*, and Frostwire*. Great apps and easy to work with. Just download the app, search for your favorite music, then download your favorite songs or albums to your device. Now you are ready to listen and enjoy.

How to Stream Music

Streaming gives you access to an infinite playlist and some of the most popular sites to stream music from are Pandora*, and Spotify*. Being able to listen to whatever you want is great, but if you don’t have an Internet connection, it’s a no go.

For your Kindle*, you can use the Pandora app if you’re on a Wi-Fi network. That way you can listen to music while you’re reading an ebook without worrying about the relatively small storage capacity of the Amazon Kindle devices.

On the iPad* there are a number of options: You can use iTunes* to listen to purchased music or stream music directly from Pandora or Spotify. There are also tons of Internet-based radio stations. An app like iHeart Radio* lets you listen to your favorite radio stations without a tuner, whether it’s island music from Miami, indie rock from Los Angeles, or jazz from New Orleans.

Laptops aren’t just wireless, portable desktop computers. With the right setup, you can turn your laptop computer into a multi-tasking workhorse that’ll make you say “Gee, I never thought I could do all that!” All you need to do is follow the simple instructions below on how to connect a laptop to a monitor. Then you’ll be set.

Getting more screen inches isn’t the only reason someone might want to connect a monitor to a laptop. Here are a couple of scenarios that spell out some of the other benefits.

• Multi-tasking: Connecting your laptop to a monitor enables you to go into split screen mode, where you can watch a movie on your PC monitor and tweet about it on your laptop screen. This gives you a cool setup that prevents you from having to keep toggling back and forth between applications.

• More screen real estate: By connecting your laptop to a monitor, you can literally double the size of your available screen space. Functions can be moved from one screen to the other so that you don’t have to shrink windows down or toggle to see two programs at the same time. This type of setup is ideal for a number of scenarios, from leisure activities like video chatting while you’re on Facebook to updating a work spreadsheet while you’re referencing facts on another platform.

• Extra options in Windows* 11: With Windows* 11, you can choose between a traditional desktop view or the new metro menu. But when you connect your laptop to a second desktop screen, you can actually have your proverbial cake and eat it too by running both at the same time.

If you use a laptop, this tip can be rather handy. When you need to switch to another open window (say you have Word, the internet, and Excel open at the same time), then hold down ALT and TAB. This will allow you to quickly cycle through to the next open program without having to look to that dreaded touchpad for assistance.

Holding down the backspace button to delete multiple letters at once is such a waste of time. If you need to delete one whole word, hold down CTRL and Backspace simultaneously. To delete multiple words, hold down the CTRL button and continue to tap on the Backspace button until you’ve deleted everything that needs to go away.

Enabling night mode can come in handy if you usually work at night or like to read with the lights off. Whether you’re on Mac or Windows, you might want to try using F.lux. However, both operating systems have some built-in support for night mode.