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Pheil: A trick of the trade in the PC world

Erin Pheil
Special to the Daily

There I was, working away on my laptop tapping the keys on my keyboard.

Suddenly, boom. My entire screen had rotated sideways. The display had turned a complete 90 degrees, and I sat there wondering, “Uh oh, what do I do now?”

I figured it out quickly and was able to get back to work within a minute or so.



When my dear mother called a few days later lamenting she was having the same issue, I realized the easy solution was worth sharing — along with a fun prank you can test out related to the simple solution.

So here you go. If you ever find yourself using a PC and staring at a screen that’s suddenly been rotated, press CTRL + Alt + Up Arrow.



That’ll rotate your screen back to normal.

If you’re looking for some serious fun, run over to your colleague’s, friend’s, spouse’s, or co-worker’s computer and hit CTRL + Alt + any Arrow other than the Up Arrow, and watch the hilarity that ensues. (Personally, I love hitting CTRL + Alt + Down Arrow, which flips the screen upside down.)

Use the combination shared above (CTRL + Alt + Up Arrow) to get things back to normal if they start getting too frustrated.

Grab Bag: Your Three Links of the Week

1. http://tinyurl.com/26r53p9 – I spent many, many hours of my youth playing Tetris. Hours. Did you do the same? Or at least enjoy playing? Here’s an interesting article about a study that reinforces your (OK, my) addiction to the game. Tetris, apparently, has actually been shown to reduce trauma and eliminate bad memories — a great comeback to anyone who thinks (or thought) you should spend your time on more “important” pursuits. Ahem: mom, dad.

2. http://tinyurl.com/odkjtzy – Bike tech. A new take on bike navigation systems for those needing guidance while cycling to destinations they’ve never been before, the Hammerhead points the way with flashing LED lights. Pre-orders are being taken now, and the product will be shipping in the second half of this year. The cost will be $99.00. (Yes, this is likely more useful for people in urban or suburban areas than for us mountain folk, but still worth a share nontheless.)

3. http://tinyurl.com/mmd88wp – A recent blog post I wrote focused on the psychology of inattention blindness. This phenomenon explains why your website visitors don’t see things simply because you put them on your website, and that oftentimes they don’t see what you think they’ll see. Important information to keep in mind when you analyze, rethink or reassess the effectiveness of your company’s website (which for many businesses, should be on a regular and ongoing basis, of course).

Erin Pheil is the owner of TimeForCake Creative Media. Visit her company’s website at http://www.timeforcake.com or email Erin at erin@timeforcake.com.


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