Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Czech Republics Central Bohemian Regions hillsides, Villa Sidonius presents an innovative architectural feat by Stempel & Tesar architekti. The villa stands out in ernoice, a historic area known for its distinctive blend of Art Nouveau, early 20th-century villas, and contemporary architectural experiments. The home challenges conventional building methods, opting instead for a hanging bridge-like structure that rises high on one of the steepest plots in the area. This design uniquely engages with the natural environment while optimizing views, functionality, and sustainability.ernoice has long attracted visionary architects, and Villa Sidonius builds on this tradition while charting new territory in both form and function. Elevated on reinforced concrete pillars, the villas bridge-like design effectively elevates it above the slope, bringing residents closer to sweeping views of the Berounka Valley, the Bohemian Karst hills, and even Pragues skyline in the distance. By positioning the structure high on the north-facing slope, the architects could harness the most direct sunlight while creating a seamless connection with the upper garden.The villas construction is an engineering marvel, utilizing a prefabricated steel framework that combines durability with flexibility. The external load-bearing structure relies on HEB 300 profiles, which provide stability for the buildings long, horizontal form. Inside, IPE 160 profiles serve as a supportive framework for windows, floors, and roof elements, allowing the villa to span an impressive 18 meters (approximately 59 feet) between its reinforced pillars. This choice in materials exemplifies the architects focus on creating a low-maintenance structure capable of withstanding the demands of the terrain while integrating seamlessly into the landscape.Inside, Villa Sidonius embraces the latest in architectural technology, including Swiss-engineered air-lux windows that incorporate patented air-sealing technology to ensure airtight closures even in fluctuating temperatures. The villas heating and cooling system employs heat pump technology, creating a comfortable indoor climate that adapts to seasonal variations with minimal environmental impact. Combined, these elements make Villa Sidonius a low-thermal-mass building that balances temperature regulation with energy efficiency a noteworthy achievement in a structure where large expanses of glass bring nature indoors.Access to the villa begins in an unexpected way: via an underground tunnel that connects the garage to the main living area. Leading residents to the foot of one of the villas towering pillars, the tunnel opens into an elevator, providing a private and practical entryway that is both elegant and efficient. The elevator stops at an intermediate level with access to the homes service rooms before reaching the primary living spaces.Landscape architect Vladimr Sitta collaborated closely with the design team to integrate Villa Sidonius into its natural surroundings. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Bohemian hillsides, they envisioned a slope covered in slate, softened by clusters of birch trees. This approach lends the landscape a serene, organic quality, contrasting beautifully with the villas steel structure and sharp angles. Together, the architectural and landscape design create a harmonious environment that celebrates the regions natural character while bringing new life to the historic district.Once on the residential level, the villas layout unfolds with a sense of openness and warmth. A central living space features a cozy yet expansive living room, dining area, and kitchen that flow together, inviting residents and guests to move naturally through the home. This main area opens onto a south-facing terrace, which transitions into a lush, vegetated hillside where a swimming pool offers a retreat under the sun. The villas unique bridge design allows for additional separation between spaces, with childrens rooms situated on one side and the primary bedroom and bath, complete with views, on the other.For more information on Stempel & Tesar architekti, visit stempel-tesar.com.Photography by Filip lapal.

Holiday season is somehow upon us and end-of-year to-do lists continue to grow by the gift, but theres no need to fret! Weve rounded up 10 unique gifts for those looking to spend up to $100 on a thoughtful present for the design-inclined. From something simple like Obakkis Sumac Candle Gift Set made by traditional Japanese candle-makers to the snazzy Ofelia Pro Micro table lamp by Zafferano, these selections will surely shine from under the tree, in a stocking, or from whatever traditions you celebrate. Continue reading to learn more and shop our selections that will surely satisfy.Sumac Candle Gift Set by the Candlemakers of Nanao for Obakki \\\ $88A centuries-old, time-honored tradition imbues this contemporary candle set with an inimitable organic quality. The complete package includes a cast iron candle stand, one sumac candle, and a reusable wooden box. Japanese candles are especially poetic with their torchy flames that burn large and bright.Tear Vase by Mud Australia \\\ $73Consider this handmade sculptural piece made by the carbon neutral Sydney-based studio, which celebrates craft and conservation. The style is named after its teardrop glaze that appears to trickle down the vases matte body. And the conical silhouette appears as romantic with a floral arrangement as it does an empty vessel.Nappula White Short Plant Pot by Matti Klenell for Iittala \\\ $74 (Sale)This planter gets its silhouette from a peculiar-shaped table, from the same designer, with exaggerated legs translated into a fresh, singular form. The pedestal-like pot is iconic of Nordic sensibilities with light hues and a streamlined shape that makes light of its substantial form. Realized in neutral colors, green vines and floral arrangements growing from within the bowl are articulated with richness.Ofelia Pro Micro by Zafferano America \\\ $99Its all about the light with this tiny but mighty wireless portable lamp that is the perfect blend of utility and decor. A head touch dimmer, which remembers its last program, allows users to toggle between three color temperature settings to achieve the desired ambiance for indoor and outdoor spaces. And its slim, die-cast aluminum form carries the weight of something well-built with a silhouette slim enough to blend in.Kaolin Brass Utensil Holder by Light + Ladder for Tortuga Forma \\\ $88Every tabletop deserves to be adorned just as one might accessorize an outfit with jewelry. These meticulously crafted objects are made with solid brass and can be arranged in a variety of positions to accommodate any type of dining utensil. From intimate dinners to jubilant gatherings, these are sure to fuse fun with function for any occasion.Quiet Town Lost Coast Rug \\\ $82Often the textile industrys unsung hero, bath rugs bear the responsibility of keeping floors dry, preventing slip, and providing something fuzzy underfoot. This high-pile piece, made using sustainably sourced cotton, is designed with an undulating shape to provide visual interest on approach and a straight back edge to butt up against a rectilinear tub, shower tray, or wall edge. Its truly groovy.Special Edition Rock and Roll Love Blueprint Poster by Dorothy \\\ $65For those in search of something giftable and music related and an alternative to electronics should consider ephemera like this special edition poster. The Rock and Roll Love Blueprint features a gold foil design that unfurls across the page to reveal an intricate infographic. The print weaves through pioneers in an homage that celebrates the people and places that have influenced the genre.Contemporary Living Book by McClean Design \\\ $75Not all coffee table objects are created equal. This books striking cover is as captivating as the 15 ultra-modern residences featured within its pages. The author explores rigorous architectural projects that are elegant, highly-detailed, and representative of Californias best livable modernism. The survey of works includes floor plans, explanatory essays, and notes from the architects themselves for a look into the designers minds.New York XXV Print by Trevor Parker at 1114 unframed \\\ $45Art is perhaps one of the most personal gifts to be given and shared. An example of this is architectural photography, which can capture the raw emotion or wonder of awe-inspiring spaces that captivate a public audience. Best given unframed, the receiver can personalize the print according to their tastes and interior design needs.HOVE wood salt & pepper mill \\\ $60From rich hues and textures to the final plating, what we eat has a lot more in common with the elements of design than most might realize. These wooden mills showcase a graphic form, available in an array of color combinations, that add flair to tabletops for those that lean into the theater of food. Each is constructed from sustainably sourced wood and outfitted with a ceramic grinding mechanism to ensure quality and longevity.Follow along so you dont miss any of our2024 Gift Guidesthis year!This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

A comic illustration of Jean-Claude Van Damme performing the splits between two eighteen wheelers careening down the highway, all while eating poptarts. Credit:Me.How to choose the right career path foryou.You are Jean-Claude Van Damme. Youre straddling two 18-wheelers careening through space while doing the splits. Its very difficult, your groin hurts, and you could really use a strawberry Pop-tartHeres the question that has brought on all the pain and Pop-tart cravings: Do I continue the path of individual contributor or turn towards management?As designers, this is a decision that we all need to face eventually. As soon as we become competent in our craft, we start to realize that we cant straddle the gapforever.Im still asking myself thequestionWe all start our careers as ICs. But its around the time of Senior Designer that were confronted with the diverging path of IC and Manager. This is a challenging question, as both paths require totally different skillsets. Ive often seen people move into management ill-equipped to teach, mentor, and lead their teams well. They were just good at design and wanted to move forward in theircareers.I dont want this to happen toyou.Over the last three years, I have been managing a steadily growing team. I now have 5 designers and 3 engineers reporting to me. Ive been learning a lot about what being a manager is (and what it isnt). Ive steadily been answering the questions that Ive had about the transition from individual contributor to manager. And Ive learned a lot about what it means to lead and influence others.Maybe youre in a similar position I was, questioning what the next step in your career holds. Here are a few things that Im learning:Lets bethankfulDo you know how many people would have killed to be in our position 20 or 30 years ago? Its only been relatively recently that growth in our careers as designers does not necessarily include management. Companies are realizing the importance of employing and incentivizing expert IC talent in their organization. Thats a really cool opportunity for us as UX designers.We dont have to become managers to move forward in our careers. We can keep designing. We can keep doing the thing that welove.This was not always the case. I think its important that we take some time to appreciate it. Were not in a rush, and we shouldnt make any decisions toorashly.Leadership is not just formanagersIn the book, The Servant, Hunter identifies two levers you can use as a manager to get people to do what you want: power and authority.Leadership: The skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the commongood.Power: The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or yourmight.Authority: The skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence.He spends the book communicating that while using the lever of power may be necessary in some situations (firing a bad employee for instance), as leaders, we need to be practicing authority and influence in order to lead the people aroundus.When I read this for the first time, I found it incredibly empoweringI didnt need a particular position tolead.If were to advance in our design careers, our craft, and our influence, whether were an individual contributor or manager, we still need to learn to lead other people well. Managers are not leaders. ICs are not leaders. Leaders are leaders. And the core of leadership is influence. That means that anyone, in any position can be aleader.Management is what you do; leadership is the person you are and the influence and impact you have upon the people you come into contact with. Management is not synonymous with leadership. Leadership is synonymous with influenceEveryone is a leader because everyone influences other people every day, for good or not so good, which is why you dont have to be the boss to be aleader.James C Hunter, TheServantThis world needs better leaders. It needs people who can change the culture around them, people who know how to make work better (in a whole lot of different ways). We are surrounded by poor leaders, and if were not thoughtful and intentional with how we engage with our teams, well become the part of theproblem.The way that we grow in our careers as UX designers is by increasing our ability to solve complex problems, but our capacity to solve problems individually only gets us so far. It is our ability to lead and influence people around us that allows us to have a bigimpact.Leadership is a skill, and we can start developing itnow.Lets take a look at how leadership shows up (or doesnt) in the two career paths that we have as UX designers.The Individual Contributors RoleThe Job: Solve problems.ICs make things. Their primary output is some kind of artifact. They have trained hands and minds to build things that assist in the software development process. And as more skills and experience are acquired, more leadership and influence can be exercised.UX Collective has an amazing series of interviews with Individual Contributors, Leading with Craft (with some terrific illustrations by Shreya Damle). Id like to focus on this one interview with Madhavi Jagdish. Shes asked about the difference between lead, staff, and principal designer.The differences in my mind are mostly those of scope, responsibility and visibility.As a lead designer, your focus is the project, and your responsibilities are to ensure that you work cross-functionally with PM and Engineering to deliver high-quality work that meets deadlines and expectations.Staff designers have a broader scope, their work reaches beyond their immediate functional and cross-functional teams. They contribute to design strategy at the company, and have more visibility with leadership and executives than lead designers do.Principal designers have even more responsibility outside their teams and functions. They are seen as design leaders at the company, contributing to strategic growth not just technically, but also along the lines of team culture and growth. They use systems thinking to ensure their work can have far-reaching impact, and set the vision for the team and companys creative work. They are also expected to have a deeper understanding of the business impact of their work and to communicate the value of research and design to executives.The level of a designer is directly related to the complexity of the problems that theyre solving. And their ability to solve complex problems is directly related to their influence over other people. A design lead influences the immediate people on their project. A staff designer influences people cross functionally. And a principal designer influences people across an entire organization.The Managers RoleThe Job: Protect yourteam.Its the managers job to teach, equip, and block for the people on their team. They are responsible for their teams output. They should be supporting and mentoring the career development of theirteam.This means less design, less making, and more meetings. It means learning how to understand people (and a wide variety of different types of people), and putting them into places or giving them the resources they need to be successful. That could be education and training, it could be additional experience. It could also be strategic insight so that the team member can solve the problem accurately.In my role as a manager, I view myself as a shield, protecting my team members so that they can do their best work. And while I still get the odd chance to build a component or perform user research, most managers dont. That is their blessing and their curse. They are communicating with everyone around them so that the men and women on their teams dont haveto.This can lead to a few pitfalls. Work for a manager is meetings. Its communication. Its coordination. If they get caught up in that work, they may start to believe that other people have similar responsibilities. They may forget that the bulk of the work that needs to be done requires human beings to bring forth something from nothing, spending a great deal of time and effort in the creation of something new.Christopher Nguyen has some great, practical tips for being a UXmanager.Meetings are not work for a designer who is making things. Theyre mostly distractions. At best, a meeting is an opportunity for quick relational connection, and information sharing. The real work happens when the designer is free to think, make, andbuild.Similarly to an Individual Contributor, the level of a manager is directly related to the complexity of the problems theyre solving. The difference is that a manager leverages the people on their team, while an IC is able to make a much more direct contribution.Lead, No Matter YourRoleWe need more leaders. Not enough people are doing the good work of leading. And I think that too many people are waiting around to be given a title. Dont wait for someone to hand you the mantle of leadership. Start rightnow.Care about the people youre surrounded by. Influence the culture of the people and work around you. Cast vision for a way to make thingsbetter.You do not need to be a manager to do that. Most managers dont do that anyway. Lead now. Do it with humility. Be genuinely interested in the people around you. Identify ways to make the culture of your workbetter.ResourcesThe Servant, James C.HunterYou dont need to be the boss to be a leader by Matt Mayberry, Harvard BusinessReviewLeading with Craft, UX CollectiveIndividual Contributor designers are cross-functional leaders by Caio Bruga, UX CollectiveHow to be a better UX manager by Christopher NguyenAffiliate Disclosure: Any Amazon links are affiliate links and help support my writing anddrawing.An illustration of the author waving. Credit:Me.Hey yall! Im Trip Carroll, a design leader at Cisco and aspiring cartoonist.I write and publish a new article on design, leadership, and software development every other Monday. You can see more of my work on my website, check out my drawings on Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter on Substack.Lets make workgreat!The split decision: IC or manager? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There are several ways products can improve a keyboard users experience with indentation. Lets talk aboutthem.One of the more foundational experiences in a digital product is the ability to format text: creating paragraphs, adding lists, or providing emphasis for certain words or phrases. All of this adds texture to the readers experience and helps them better understand content. And for the author, there are several established ways in which they can navigate, select, and format thistext.But what happens to the author experience when an important part of text formatting includes indentation?This is an important situation for designers to understand because for keyboard users, indentation is always controlled by the Tab key. But this key has a far more important function for accessibility: its the primary way these users navigate digital products. And as a result, when indentation is enabled in a text formatting experience it raises an important question:has the users ability to navigate the product beenbroken?This is so important in fact that not being trapped while using a keyboard is a fundamental requirement by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). But this also raises a few practical questions. If no keyboard traps are required, thenHow are these traps typically handled for these experiences? And how do users discover existing exitmethods?And this is where things get a little complicated.Existing methods and opaque standardsAs the industry has matured over the last couple of decades, many products have chosen to solve this challenge differently. And one important result from this is that theres no industry-wide consensus about what the right solution shouldbe.One existing method is to use the F6 key as an alternate form of navigation. But unfortunately, its inconsistently used across applications and operating systems. For example, some browsers use this key to navigate between major landmarks (Firefox, Chrome, Edge) while others (Safari, Arc) do not. At the same time the F6 key may also execute other functions, such as cycling through non-landmark elements or repeating the last user action. And an important side-effect of this inconsistency is that discovering exit methods by a user is impaired. But theres something else that makes matters a little more challenging.When looking at Success Criterion (2.1.2) more closely, theres no clear definition for what a standard exit method is. And as a result of this, its also not clear when or how a user must be advised of an non-standard method.I do think the guideline hints at its overall intent, that exit methods should be both available and easily discoverable. But to better illustrate how this affects users, lets look at a common situation with GoogleDocs.Trapped in a Google DocWhen a user opens a Google Doc, focus is immediately (and smartly) moved to the main text area for editing. If the user then wishes to move to another part of the applicationsay the toolbarthey can either use the F6 key or custom shortcuts to exit this text area. Except, theres a small problem with both of thesemethods.Because the F6 keys functionality is not consistent it cannot be used to meet the Success Criterion, leaving the user to rely on custom shortcuts. Unfortunately, these shortcuts are also not directly communicated to users and the only way to escape this text area with a keyboard is random trial anderror.From the users perspective this outcome is obviously frustrating. However, because of the language of the Success Criterion it could be argued that Google is adhering to the guideline as the application does technically advise the userjust not directly.With this in mind then, what could we do to fix thisproblem?Situations with different needsWhen it comes to text formatting experiences that include indentation, there are two situations that users will encounter.The most common situation is when indentation is only allowed for specific formatting options. And thankfully this situation is much more forgiving as the user always has at least one option to step away from this trap and return to navigation.An example of this is Slacks primary message component. When a user adds list formatting to their text and either (1) the caret is also at the start of a list item or (2) any part of the list items text is selected, the Tab key is rewritten to control indentation. And its easy enough to escape these situations to re-enable normal navigation behaviors.In contrast, the more challenging situation is when indentation is always enabled as there is no position within the text that will re-enable the default function of the Tab key. And its this situation that needs help themost.Creating a better, more consistent solutionIndent-enabled text formatting experiences affect how users both interact with and navigate products. And Id like to suggest a few adjustments that would both clarify how this problem can be solved, and provide a more consistent user experience.The F6 key and WCAGThe first change would be to enshrine F6 as a landmark navigation key in WCAG and require it to be used for this function, and this function alone. And this not only would provide a guaranteed exit method for keyboard users, but it would also improve landmark navigation in products as well (a great side-benefit).Improving the Success CriterionAnother improvement would be to clearly define in Success Criterion (2.1.2) what exactly constitutes a standard exit method, what advising the user means, and if better discoverability is the underlying intent of the guideline.Consistent local interaction behaviorsFinally, adjusting the interaction model of these experiences would be the most practical and consistent way of helping users. And only small changes are actually neededhere.The most meaningful change would be to extend the functionality of the Escape key so that it can toggle between an active or inactive editor state. This would provide a consistent way to exit this component. And a few additional behaviorslike progressively clearing conditional functionalities or remembering the carets last positionwould also improve the overall user experience.Theres also a larger benefit to this solution as well. Because it provides a consistent model at the component level, it could also be used across any product that includes this kind of formatting experience. And this would greatly improve its chances to be discoveredwhether thats Google Docs or Obsidian, coding tools like VSCode, or many other text editing tools thatexist.And whether its a person using a keyboard due to a mobility impairment or someone who just wants a more consistent way to navigate their environment, these changes would positively impact their experience with these indentation-enabled text formatting situations (thats really a mouthful).Note: Ive filed an issue in w3c/silver about clarifying no keyboard traps. If you feel there are additional improvements that could be made, join the discussion.Why text formatting experiences can be a trap was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you have even the tiniest inkling that you might want to get in shape in the new yearor anytime reallydont wait until January. This isn't even a "winter arc" self-improvement pitch; it's just facts. The best time to start a gym habit is right now, when youll have the place to yourself. Technically right now is always the best time to start, but the holiday season is special. If you wait until January, gyms will be packed. The first two weeks of the year, everybody thinks theyre at the start of an amazing new fitness habit ... and then by February, most of them have forgotten all about it. Dont make life harder for yourself by starting during the big rush. Classes will fill up, youll have to fight people for the squat rack, and it will be hard to have any real fun. So start now. ZICOTO Ultimate Fitness Journal with consistency tracker $9.99 at Amazon $19.99 Save $10.00 Shop Now Shop Now $9.99 at Amazon $19.99 Save $10.00 In November, gyms and classes are at more or less their normal capacities. This is a good time to feel out the vibe of a new place. But it gets better: By December, fair-weather gymgoers will be off shopping for gifts after work and attending holiday parties on the weekends. They wont feel like getting out of their warm beds in the morning, either. When you arrive, the squat rack will be free. Youll have your choice of treadmills. The gym will be your oyster. You have a little over six weeks before the rush. And that is a perfect little time frame to set a small goal and keep it. Vow to hit the gym three times a week, and youll be able to get 18 workouts in before the new year, even if you take a few days off for festivities. You can get a lot stronger in 18 workouts. Or run, if that's the fitness journey you're most excited about. If you start a couch-to-5k running plan now, youll be nearly done by January. Yes, December can be busy and stressful, but remember that working out tends to help our brains manage stress. Mark workouts on your calendar, and keep those appointments with yourself. Dont worry about missing out on deals: Any gym or studio that offers a January special will most likely have a Black Friday deal, too. And ultimately, if you get into the habit of actually using the gym, you're getting a lot more value for your money than somebody who joins in January and quickly stops showing up.

Throughout my academic and professional journeys, one thing has remained my constant ally: Google Docs. Not only is having all your documents available no matter where you are super helpful, but the software itself is surprisingly versatile and intricate. I have never encountered anything I couldnt do with Google Docs, from signing a contract to seamlessly working with huge groups of collaborators. There are other, smaller hacks for the word processor that you may not even know about, though. Its business applications are plentiful, but lets focus on what Google Docs can do for students, especially.Google Docs hacks for essays and notesSo much of schoolwork centers on writing, from essays to memos to notes, so here are the hacks that will serve you best when youre in the zone on a paper or taking down information in class.Change capitalization formattingEasily change the capitalization formatting of anything in the doc by highlighting it and choosing Format, then Text. At the bottom of the menu, youll see Capitalization, and hovering over it gives you three options: lowercase, UPPERCASE, and Title Case. When you accidentally type in all-caps or need to make a title but dont want to rewrite what you already have, this is a little-known quick fix that will save so much time.Use Voice Typing for note-takingMake note-taking in class way easier by selecting Voice Typing from the Tools menu. Once you click the little microphone icon that appears, anything your computer mic pics up will be put into the doc. It wont be perfect, but it will be editable, so let it jot down everything your professor says, then revise it later for notes that match up with your lecture.Use an integrated dictionary for papersYou can use Google Docs' built-in dictionary within your doc by going to Tools in the top menu, then hitting Dictionary. You can even highlight a word in the doc and hit Command + Shift + Y to look it up right away. The dictionary appears in the sidebar of the screen, so you dont need to leave the doc to Google your word. Perhaps best of all, the bottom of the panel shows synonyms that you can swap into your doc to take your vocab up a notch, which is helpful for when youre writing an essay. (Another dictionary tip: Add any technical terms to your personal dictionary so the spell-checker stops flagging them by right-clicking the word and adding it. This works great for those of us with weird last names, too.)Use Find and Replace to quickly edit essaysYou can find and replace text in Google Docs by hitting Command + F. The usual search bar will appear in the top-right of the window, but if you click the three-dot menu, youll see not only Find, but Replace. If youve been misspelling someones name over and over throughout an essay, or using a word too many times, you can replace it quickly. You even have the option to do a full Replace All, or jump from instance to instance to decide if you only want to replace a few of them.Make a table of contents with little effortInsert a table of contents from the Insert menu if you need to keep a long doc organized. This only works if you format the headings on your sections by highlighting them, selecting the Format button in the menu, hovering over Paragraph styles, then selecting a header option, but it creates a great table of contents that automatically updates. If information you had on page two ends up on page three after you insert a paragraph of text above it, the table of contents will update on its own, so you dont have to do it manually. You can also click the headers within the table of contents to quickly navigate to that section of the doc.Version History will save lost drafts of papers and deleted notesYou can find older versions of your doc by hitting Version history in the File menu. I didnt know about this for a long time, and thought that since Google Docs updates automatically, any revisions I made were permanent. Not so! Im writing this in Google Docs right now, and the software has saved two different versions in the 45 minutes Ive been at it.Enable line numbers for long papers or group projectsIf you are working with a bunch of people in a collaborative Google Doc, enable line numbers so you can all quickly reference portions of the work among yourself. The feature simply adds little numbers down the left side of the document. This is particularly helpful if you're editing something massive, like a thesis, because it helps you keep track of exactly where information appears within your document. It's so much easier to tell your project partner they need to address an issue on page two, line seven, than to try to describe which sentence needs attention. Toggle these numbers on by hitting "Tools," then "Line numbers." In the line numbers sidebar, select "Show line numbers."Force collaborators to work on copies, not the actual Google DocI've run across this a few times when working on assignments from professors: I'll open a Google Docs link, usually containing instructions for a project, and find their doc is not editable. So, I have to "Make a copy" that generates the document a second time in my Docs. Teachers do this so they can easily distribute a worksheet and all the students can fill it in without affecting the original version everyone has access to. It works well in that scenario, but could also be helpful if you need group members to do some independent work and don't want everyone typing into the primary document at the same time. Click "Share" on the top right of the document, change the link settings to "Anyone with the link," and choose "Editor" from the dropdown next to it. Next, copy the link and paste it into whatever you're using to share it. Before hitting send, edit the end of the link by replacing the word "edit" and everything after it with "template/preview."Take advantage of Google KeepFinally, don't forget about Google Keep, the note-taking app that integrates perfectly with Google Docs. I use Google Keep for all kinds of things, like shopping lists and sudden brilliant ideas, but it's excellent for jotting down notes in class, too. Tap the yellow lightbulb icon on the top right while you're in a doc to reveal the Keep sidebar menu, which will allow you to drag and drop notes and ideas straight into your document. There are plenty of note-taking apps out there, but if you're a frequent Google Docs user, I'd highly recommend trying Keep for the Docs integration here. Google Docs hacks for everything elseYou can (and definitely do) use Google Docs for more than just writing essays. Here are some of the most convenient things Ive been able to do with Google Docs, which usually require multiple programs when using other software.Make editable PDFs with Google Docs (for free)You can turn your PDFs into editable text documents by uploading them to your Google Drive, then hitting Google Docs in the Open With menu. I didnt know you could do this until a few months ago, when my Adobe subscription lapsed and I was refusing to pay for it again on principle, since I really only needed to edit one document. There can be some formatting issues when doing this, but for the most part, Ive found that Google Docs seamlessly turns the PDF into editable text, so it's easy to make changes before saving, again, as a PDF.Sign documents for free, tooSign your documents by adding a scribble in Google Docs. I find the extensions for Word too complicated and the online doc editors too expensive, so before I realized you could do this right in Google Docs for free, I was printing out all these documents, signing them with a pen, and uploading pictures of them wherever they needed to go. Humiliating. Famously, I once used the doodle tool in the Instagram Story editor to sign a document. Beyond humiliating. To sign within Google Docs, go to Insert, then Drawing, then New. A box will appear for you to draw in. Just go to the menu option that says Select Line and hit Scribble. Now, scribble your signature in the box, hit save, and youll be able to insert it right in the document. Again, this is free.Create Google Docs tasks to keep yourself focused You can also add in-text tasks to stay on track. This is helpful if youre working collaboratively with a group or just need to get a massive assignment done on a particular timeline. By typing @task into the doc, youll prompt a dialog box that allows you to name the task, delegate it to someone (even yourself), and set a date that it needs to be completed by, so youll get reminders. Its helpful to put a blank page at the beginning or end of your full doc and add all the tasks there. Google Docs puts a little checkbox next to all the tasks, too, so you can tick them off as you go.

After briefly offering a transparent Steam Deck OLED last year, Valve has announced its next limited edition variant featuring a bold new color: "white." It'll cost you $679 when it's available on November 18, and it features the exact same hardware as the 1TB Steam Deck OLED. (Most importantly, it sports that gorgeous 7.4-inch display with HDR and a 90Hz refresh rate). There's also a white carrying case, naturally. While the perils of white console hardware are hard to ignore (especially for a hefty portable that'll surely trap plenty of hand grease), this new variant may convince early Steam Deck owners to make the jump.As we covered in our review, the Steam Deck OLED's display looks significantly bolder than the original LCD models, especially with the addition of HDR support. This time around, Valve says it's also shipping the limited edition white model worldwide where Steam Decks are already available (including Australia)."We're curious to see what the response is, and will use what we learn to inform future decisions about any potential new color variants down the line," Valve said in an e-mail. "We've always said our intent is to continually work on improving Steam Deck, and that's true from both a software perspective (continuing to ship improvements) and a hardware one (Steam Deck OLED, as well as ongoing work toward the future of Steam Deck and other hardware plans)."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/a-white-steam-deck-oled-can-be-yours-for-679-230625689.html?src=rss

If you have an iPhone that can run iOS 18, you can now download and install the public beta of iOS 18.2. One of the most useful new features is the capability to share the location of a lost item connected to Apple's Find My network with a third party. You can already share an item's location with people in your contacts list, but Apple says this could help in instances wherein you have to rely on the help of a stranger.When you choose "Share Item Location" in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad or Mac, you'll get the option to share a link that shows the location of your missing item. The link's recipient will be able to open it on any device, and they'll also be able to see your Apple account email and/or phone number so that they can get in touch with you. You'll be able to see how many people visited the link, which expires after you're reunited with your lost belonging or after a week if you haven't found it by then.Along with benevolent strangers, you'll be able to share the locations of misplaced AirTags and Find My accessories with select airlines. Apple has worked with several of them to integrate this feature into their systems. Only a small number of airline staff can access each Share Item Location link, and Apple says they'll first need to authenticate themselves with an Apple Account or partner email address.AppleMore than 15 airlines will start supporting this feature in the coming months, including Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling. Apple says that more airlines will get involved over time to help track down mishandled or delayed bags.Air transport tech company SITA is also incorporating Share Item Location into WorldTracer, its baggage-tracing system. According to Apple, this is used by more than 500 airlines and ground handlers at more than 2,800 airports.Of course, installing beta software does have its downsides. There's a higher chance of running into bugs, and some apps or features might still not work as Apple had intended. If you don't mind and want to test iOS 18.2, you'll have to enable Beta Updates under Software Updates in your device's Settings menu. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 18.2 proper in December.Meanwhile, as luck would have it, there's an early Black Friday deal on AirTags at the time of writing. You can scoop up a four-pack for a record low of $70.Update, November 5 2024, 9:10AM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that these new features are in the developer beta of iOS 18.2. The public beta for that software isn't available just yet.Update, November 11, 2024, 3:12PM ET: This story has been updated to include details of the airline integration and to note that a public beta of iOS 18.2 is now available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-latest-find-my-update-makes-it-easier-to-find-lost-items-133049512.html?src=rss

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