Macro Systems Blog

If you’re reading this on the day it's posted, it's Wednesday. How often have you had to rewrite the same messages, over and over, in your internal reporting and client interactions so far this week? Probably quite a bit, and certainly more than you’d prefer.

This is wasteful: not only does replicating this message over and over cost valuable time, but it also uses up mental energy… plus, simply copy-pasting can easily lead to errors and oversights. Luckily, modern email platforms provide templates that can be utilized to generate consistent and quality messages. 

In nearly every office, the printer hums along, a familiar backdrop to the workday. Have you ever paused to consider how much all that printing really adds up? If the average office worker might use around 10,000 sheets of paper annually, as some studies suggest, that is far too high with the modern technology available to us. That’s a significant impact on budgets and the environment.

It's common that people need to access the same websites repeatedly for their work purposes, including calendars, applications, and portals. Bookmarking these resources offers a simple way to quickly and easily access them on demand.

Listed below are practices that can help you take these handy utilities to the next level of usefulness. 

How often do you find yourself feeling the weight of your agenda stressing you out, and, counterproductively, distracting you from the task you’re currently working on? One of the best ways to power through and stay on track is to step away and take a minute to get your stress back under control. 

If you feel like you never have enough time to work through your to-do list, you’re far from the only one. If you make small adjustments to the way you tackle everyday tasks and responsibilities, you may be able to change your productivity habits for the better. Listed below are tips on how you can make the most of your workday with simple, easy tricks.

While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an imperative one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

We’ve all heard it, probably even rolled our eyes at it: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” This seemingly simplistic question has become a running gag in the world of IT support. But under the humor lies a fundamental truth: rebooting a device is often the most effective first step in resolving a surprising number of technical glitches.

Although it might sound elementary, this advice is based on solid technical principles.

The Snipping Tool is a convenient utility application integrated into Windows that offers users with significant screen-capturing capabilities.

Listed below: how to use it and how it can prove valuable to your business.

If your business owns more than one computer, you’ve got tech to track. Laptops, monitors, printers, routers, projectors, phones; it all adds up fast. If you’re not keeping an eye on it, your business could end up with missing equipment, surprise inefficiency, or worse, security problems. That’s why tracking your hardware is imperative.

Websites also make excellent use of keyboard shortcuts you utilize every day to enhance your productivity. YouTube is an excellent source of entertainment and education; we want to help you get more value out of it with keyboard shortcuts. Listed below are some of the best that you should know.

At the beginning of this year, a massive data breach hit a location data broker called Gravy Analytics and took possession of a dataset with 30 million points from devices worldwide. This data could potentially be utilized to track individuals and their movements, tellingly, via healthcare, government, and military facilities. 

Alas, nothing can be done about data that has already been breached, but preventative steps can and should be taken to protect your business. Listed below: how to prevent your apps from tracking your movements.

Want more productivity from the workday? Multiple monitors can help you achieve this goal. You might run into the problem of “ghost monitors,” though, where your PC believes you are connected to screens when you’re not. If you experience this problem and your application windows are off-screen and unobtainable, you’ll find this week’s tip helpful.

In regards to social media platforms, Bluesky is the new kid in town, which means that most users may not have a significant following on it yet… and new users may not be following many at all. That being said, a few baked-in options make it much simpler for the latter to curate their experience on the platform.

Listed below: how a user can find new accounts to follow on Bluesky.

Sometimes problem solving requires you to step away and think about the problem at hand. Consider any great strategist out there and you’ll understand that it takes time and calculation to make moves that will benefit you now as well as in the future. Listed below: how you can be more productive via strategic pausing.

Last week, we discussed why X, the social media network once known as Twitter, has been losing many users. This week we wanted to direct those seeking a move to consider the up-and-coming platform known as Bluesky in case you were one of those jumping ship.

Listed below is how Bluesky operates and how to sign up.

Spoiler alert: a business that lacks productivity is unlikely to see any amount of success. One of the best ways to ensure your productivity is to practice patience. How can patience enhance your productivity?

Windows 11 takes a page out of Apple’s design playbook and provides a taskbar that, instead of being off to the side, is smack in the middle of the toolbar. While some may like this change, others may not.

Luckily for these others, a simple setting change can return the taskbar to its familiar place like on older versions of Windows.

Microsoft Excel is a great productivity tool and can be utilized in a lot of different and interesting ways. 

Being scammed in any capacity is a scary thought. To avoid this outcome, we must be vigilant all the time now.

Naturally, it also helps to know what to look for.

Listed below are a few warning signs and red flags that something is likely a scam.

Network security is hard, which is why so many businesses struggle to implement the solutions they so desperately need to stay safe and relevant. Below we demystify some of these components and lay out in clear terms what your highest priorities should be for your business’ network security.