Today’s T3 includes tips for using the touch keyboard in Windows 10, taking a bit of the sting out of tax season, and catching up on the Oscar nominees—in an actual theater!
1. Windows 10 Touch Keyboard
If you have a Windows 10 computer or tablet, you can use an on-screen touch keyboard, whether or not you have a physical keyboard attached. By default, there should be an icon for it on your taskbar but if for some reason it’s not showing, right-click on the taskbar to display a popup menu where you can turn it on.
There are four different styles of keyboard available, which you can switch by clicking the keyboard icon at the bottom right of the keyboard.
- The basic keyboard has the basic alphabet and a button to toggle to show numbers and symbols. It’s also a great way to insert emoji into documents and messages without having to remember all the special key combinations to create them.
- The split keyboard has the same keys but is split in half, making it easier to reach them without having to keep moving your hands (for example, when your tablet is in landscape mode).
- The handwriting keyboard lets you use your finger or trackpad/mouse to write out letters.
- The full keyboard has smaller keys but includes all the additional ones like Ctrl, Tab, arrows, and function keys. If this option is grayed out for you, go to the Typing Settings to turn on that option.
You can also click the Undock button (beside the X) on any of the keyboards to move them around the screen. I find this really helpful when working on my Surface Pro 4 in Portrait mode, where I can move the keyboard up to where my hands are holding the tablet. I also move it if it’s covering something up I need to read.
Check out this TechRadar article to learn more about how to use the touch keyboard. >>
2. Deal Alert: H&R Block Tax Software
Sorry to bring up a sad topic 🙁 but tax-filing season has officially arrived. One way to reduce the pain is to save a little money on the software you’re using to file them. Amazon currently has a deal on various versions of H&R Block 2016 tax software (expiry date unknown).
Bonus tip: If you use the software and are expecting a refund this year, you can have it applied to an Amazon gift card and H&R Block will add 5-10% to the value of the gift card, depending on which product you’ve used.
See all terms and conditions for the H&R Block Refund Bonus program. >>
3. Academy Awards Film Festival at Regal Cinemas
This year, the Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26th. If you’ve missed some of this year’s nominated movies (or, in my case, almost all of them), participating Regal Cinemas are holding a Best Picture Film Festival from Friday, February 17th until the Big Day. You can get a pass to see all the films for $35 and Regal Crown Club members will get a $5.00 Medium Popcorn & Soft Drink Combo, although to be honest, I’m not really entirely sure what that means since I’m pretty sure you can’t get a medium popcorn and softdrink for $5.00… (If you have more info about the offer, please share it in the comments below.)
Get dates, times, and locations for the festival screenings. >>
Bonus tip: The only nominated film I’ve seen is Hidden Figures and I CAN NOT RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY ENOUGH. Fantastic movie… just fantastic.
You may also be interested in: