Copywriter, technical writer, translator (FR>EN, ES>EN, IT>EN), journalist

TechnoZen

Using nonprinting characters (formatting symbols) in a document

Non-printing characters (NPCs) show formatting in your document. When you first see these symbols, you might think they’re cluttering up your screen. In fact, they’re designed to be both easily perceptible when you want to see them and easy to ignore when you don’t. And the headaches

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RIM's PlayBook has some kinks to work out

Waterloo, Ont.-based Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) recently released the biggest test of its BlackBerry brand: the PlayBook tablet. Here are my first impressions.

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Wrangling passwords

Last week, a discussion on passwords took place on a listserv I belong to. Being a shameless thief, I’ll mention some of what was said and add my own input.

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Making the Switch to Mac

Thinking about going the Macintosh route? Consider what former PC users have to say. Rob Hyndman has used computers based on Microsoft operating systems since the days of MS/DOS. But 20 months ago, after the latest in a string of what he calls “Windows catastrophes” and the

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Great document layout tips

I recently wrote a yet-to-be-published article that sprouted from an observation: legal documents, when compared to documents from Adobe, Inc., often look horrid. There’s no good reason for any document to be difficult to read, so I wrote about how important it is for lawyers to improve

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Getting computer help from friends

You know the geek (sorry, good friend, or “help desk person”) you call when your computer goes on the fritz? The one who happily helps you for free? Make that person’s life easier. If there’s nothing wrong with your Internet connection and you can turn on your

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Parade One – CityPlace

Located on former railway lands just west of downtown Toronto, the Parade One condominium development consists of a nine-storey podium from which rise towers of 18 and 38 storeys, containing 835 suites total – plus one of the most daring design elements to grace a condominium to

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Lawyers wary of new technology (cloud computing)

Law offices have long used sophisticated computer systems. Today, those systems don’t need to reside in the firm’s offices. Using cloud computing, also known as software as a service (SaaS), firms can use robust systems located off the premises. But attorneys aren’t rushing to replace premise-based systems

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Creating meeting invitations (Outlook, iCal)

Have you ever received a “meeting request” or calendar invitation via email? I send them often, since they’re a really handy way to get meeting information into calendars belonging to other people.

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Library and Academic Building, Centennial College

Toronto’s Centennial College, Ontario’s oldest public college, is putting a new “face” on its Progress Avenue campus, erecting a four-story Library and Academic Facility at the campus entrance. Thanks to both its height and its proximity to major roads, including a heavily-travelled stretch of Highway 401, this

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