Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts 101

You can always tell a Photoshop professional by how little they touch their mouse. You may know everything there is to know about Photoshop’s UI. Yet, if you’re not at least a little familiar with the hundreds of Photoshop keyboard commands sitting just beyond your fingertips, you’ll always fall short.

The following is a list of Photoshop keyboard commands you absolutely have to know. No one’s saying you have to memorize all of the Photoshop hotkeys, mind you. Practice regularly and you’ll learn them faster. And bookmark this page so you can always come back quickly when you need a refresher.

What follows are the Adobe Photoshop keyboard shortcuts you need to know.

Basic Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

Basic commands allow users to fix simple mistakes quickly.

To undo a single action within your project:

• Ctrl + Z (Windows)
• Cmd + Z (macOS)

To undo multiple actions within your project:

• Ctrl + Alt + Z (Windows)
• Cmd + Z repeatedly (macOS)

Z: Access the Zoom tool by using the Photoshop Zoom shortcut.

To deselect a Photoshop selection:

• Ctrl + D (Windows)
• Cmd + D (macOS)

UI Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

User interface (UI) commands affect Photoshop’s interface and window listing. To remove all dialog boxes from your Photoshop window:

• Tab (Windows)
• Tab (macOS)

You can also toggle between different screen sizes by pressing the F key on both macOS and Windows.

Right-click [workspace background]: This changes the default workspace background on both macOS and Windows. Right-click the background and select one of the options that follow (Dark Gray is the default).

In a dialog window, holding down Alt will change your Cancel option to a Reset option on Windows. On macOS, holding down Option will do the same thing.

Click on the Reset option to reset any changes you made within the window.

To quickly select an item from a tool submenu on your toolbar (i.e. Eraser vs. Background Eraser), hold Shift and press a tool’s hotkey on either Windows or macOS.

To scroll left on your art board:

• Hold down Ctrl + Scroll Up [mouse wheel] for Windows.
• Hold down Cmd + Scroll Up [mouse wheel] for macOS.

To scroll right on your art board:

• Hold down Ctrl + Scroll Down [mouse wheel] for Windows.
• Hold down Cmd + Scroll Down [mouse wheel] for macOS.

Ctrl + Tab: This command cycles through tabs from left to right for both Windows or macOS.

To cycle right-to-left, press Ctrl + Shift + Tab on either Windows or macOS. It’s just like moving between tabs in your browser.

Brush Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

Brush commands allow users to modify various brush aspects quickly. Don’t forget that you can create your own Photoshop brushes too, for maximum customizability.

[ or ]: Shrinks or enlarges brush size with the brush size shortcut (Windows or macOS).

{ or }: Increases or decreases brush hardness for both Windows or macOS.

Caps Lock: Using this command on Windows or macOS will change your brush’s cursor from a brush preview to a crosshair.

Color Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

Color commands allow users to implement colors into their artwork using their keyboards.

D: Sets the foreground and background colors to default (black and white) on either Windows or macOS.

To fill selections or a layer with a foreground color:

• Alt + Backspace (Windows)
• Option + Delete (macOS)

To fill selections or a layer with a background color:

• Ctrl + Backspace (Windows)
• Cmd + Delete (macOS)

X (Windows or macOS): Switches between foreground and background colors.

Layer Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

Layering is one of the most important—if not the most important—aspect of Photoshop. Which is why these Photoshop keyboard shortcuts are some of the most useful.

Number keys (1, 2, 3…): Selecting a particular layer and pressing a number button (either on Windows or macOS) will automatically adjust the opacity of that layer. So “1” = 10% opacity, “2” = 20%, “3” = 30%, and so on.

Quickly selecting two numbers will change a layer’s opacity to the percentage pressed (3 and 4 will give you an opacity of 34%).

Shift + Click [Layers panel]: To select multiple layers in your Layers panel (either on Windows or macOS), select a single layer, hold the Shift key, and select another layer.

This “select all command” will select every layer in between the first and second layers selected.

To select more than one layer in your Layers panel, but not all of them:

• Press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking individual layers on Windows.
• Press and hold the Cmd key while clicking individual layers on macOS.

To duplicate a layer in your Layers panel:

• Select the layer and press Ctrl + J on your keyboard for Windows.
• Select the layer and press Cmd + J on your keyboard for macOS.

To add a new layer in Photoshop underneath the currently selected layer:

• Hold Ctrl and click on your New Layer button on Windows.
• Hold Cmd and click on your New Layer button on macOS.

To add a new layer above the currently selected layer, hold Shift and click on your New Layer button on both macOS and Windows.

To copy and paste all visible elements on your art board into a new layer:

• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E (Windows)
• Cmd + Shift + Option + E (macOS)

To select a layer’s borders automatically:

• Hold Ctrl and click on a layer’s thumbnail in your Layers panel on Windows.
• Hold Cmd and click on a layer’s thumbnail in your Layers panel on macOS.

Shift + “+” or “-” [Layers Panel]: This toggles through blending modes in your Layers Panel for both Windows and macOS.

Transform Command Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop

The transform tool allows users to resize and skew layers at will.

To select your layer image and allow you to resize your image:

• Ctrl + T on Windows.
• Cmd + T on macOS.

To distort instead of resize, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (macOS) after your image has been selected. Drag the encircling square markers.

To resize an image while centered:

• Alt + Shift + Drag (Windows)
• Option + Shift + Drag (macOS)

To resize an image with preserved size ratio:

• Shift + Drag [Transform tool] on Windows.
• Option + Drag [Transform tool] on macOS.

Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts Give You the Power

Practice these Photoshop keyboard shortcuts once, then again, then again. That’s the only way you’ll remember them all (and start to understand the basics of Photoshop). This is just a small selection of the available shortcuts—check the official Adobe Photoshop keyboard shortcuts if you don’t believe us.

The best thing about working through these Photoshop keyboard shortcuts though is that because Adobe software works in tandem with one another, you’ll be able to use most of these keyboard commands (where they apply) with other Adobe software.

There’s almost no limit to what you can do with Photoshop. Even if you’ve mastered multiple tutorials, learning Photoshop’s keyboard shortcuts will save you time. Better yet, it’ll save you from having to find your way around Photoshop’s cavernous UI. Try these out, and give your mouse a break.

Image Credit: Yaruta/Depositphotos

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How to View Private Facebook Profiles

In the early days of Facebook, users posted all manner of personal and private data online. In hindsight, we were all green, but it didn’t feel like a privacy issue waiting to happen.

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Until it became a massive data privacy issue. Now, the best privacy practice is to keep your Facebook profile private to protect your identity, your data, and even that of your friends.

Even if you have a private Facebook profile, people will attempt to sneak a look at it. So in this article we’ll explore how to view private Facebook profiles to help you stay safe.

What Is a Private Facebook Profile?

A private Facebook profile is an account that you cannot view without being friends. When you view a private Facebook profile, you don’t see any user information and, in many cases, don’t see a profile photo either. The user has switched off any public-facing profile settings, making the profile not quite anonymous, but certainly more private.

In the early days of Facebook, several tricks existed that allowed at least a partial view of a private Facebook account. For instance, adding someone as a friend once granted access to that person’s Facebook page, regardless of privacy settings.

Another workaround involved modifying the Facebook profile URL to gain access to profile images and other uploads. At the time, third-party tools that could circumvent at least some of Facebook’s privacy settings were available too.

Thankfully, Facebook has closed the overwhelming majority of these backdoors and workarounds. The intense scrutiny Facebook faces regarding the privacy of its users means accessing a private Facebook profile is extremely difficult. In that, the largest vulnerability is now the human connection: social engineering, weak passwords, and poor personal security.

How Do People Try to View Private Facebook Profiles?

Even if you set your Facebook profile to private, it doesn’t stop people from attempting to view it. Worse, setting your Facebook profile to private doesn’t close the loopholes people can use to skirt the privacy settings. They are, after all, loopholes. The clue is in the name.

There are a few methods people will use to engineer access to a private Facebook profile. Here’s what you need to watch out for.

1. Fake Facebook Friends

The most straightforward method is via a fake friend. Someone that desperately wants access to your private Facebook profile might create an entirely fake profile in order to befriend you and gain access to your Facebook profile.

A fake friend profile will use commonly known details to trick you into accepting a request. For instance, the (stolen) profile might feature a person of a similar age, have a similar set of interests and Likes, or say they come from the same hometown, school, or business; anything to create a false bond.

If someone is specifically targeting your account, they can use the information found on other accounts linked to yours to create the illusion of a colleague in a different department or a long-lost primary school friend.

The difficulty of spotting a fake Facebook friend depends on how you use your account. If you are already a very private individual with a small number of Facebook friends, it is easier to spot a fake request.

You can take control of your Facebook friend settings, including hiding your friends list and restricting who can make a friend request.

2. Spyware Apps

Once Facebook finally made it genuinely difficult to view a private Facebook profile, those desperate to view a profile turned to more extreme options. Installing spyware is one of those more extreme methods of viewing a private Facebook profile.

Spyware, and more recently, stalkerware (what is stalkerware?) installed on the device of a victim can provide direct access to a private Facebook account.

Spyware apps are not difficult to use. You can take some assurance in the fact that it won’t work unless someone has access to your computer or smartphone, or tricks you into downloading the spyware using a malicious email or link.

If someone is using a spyware app to view or mirror a Facebook account to a different device, it is difficult to detect. Especially if the person spying isn’t making any modifications or changing the behavior of the device. Thankfully, you do have options!

Check out our complete malware removal guide. It will help you find out if your device is hiding any spyware or malware, and explain how to remove it.

3. Password Theft

The third method for accessing a private Facebook profile is straight-up password theft. Facebook password creation rules are decent enough. You need a minimum of eight characters, including upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Even with that combination, users will contrive to create the easiest password possible to remember. If you have an easy password, it is also easy for someone to guess it.

The other issue is password reuse. If you reuse a password across several sites and one of those suffers a data breach, you suddenly have several vulnerable accounts. You might not even realize your password is out in the wild, such is the volume of data breaches internet users contend with.

There is no tool to check your password on every site, for extremely obvious reasons. But you can head to Troy Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned? to find out if your email address and password has been exposed in a previous data breach.

Otherwise, start using stronger passwords, possibly using one of these online password generators to get you started.

Facebook Is a Security and Privacy Nightmare

A private Facebook profile should protect your data. But you shouldn’t entirely rely on Facebook. The social media giant is as much of a privacy issue as people attempting to view your private profile.

Facebook already holds the data as you enter it, upload photos, and Share and Like pages. Facebook’s tracking is prolific, and Facebook has been involved in numerous privacy scandals. Which isn’t a good combination.

In general, Facebook is a security and privacy nightmare. So, yes, protect your Facebook account against people preying on your data. But consider protecting yourself against the platform itself too.

Image Credit: Pixinoo/Shutterstock

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How to Use OneNote for School: 10 Tips for Students and Teachers

Microsoft OneNote weighs just a few megabytes. Lugging around a satchel full of books pales a bit in comparison, doesn’t it? So, as you head back to school, let’s learn a bit more about the power-packed note-taking tool.

Microsoft OneNote is part of Microsoft’s suite and is a cross-platform productivity application.

OneNote is free. For enhanced collaboration features like Class Notebook and Staff Notebook, students and teachers can also get Office 365 Education for free with a valid school email address.

There are many unique ways to use OneNote and change the way you teach or study. Come aboard. OneNote has loads of tips for teachers and students alike.

OneNote 2016 vs. OneNote for Windows 10

The different versions of OneNote can cause you some confusion. There are two main versions of OneNote and you can use both on the same computer:

• OneNote for Windows 10 (the Microsoft Store app)
• OneNote 2016 (the Microsoft Office desktop app)

Then, you have the ecosystem of OneNote apps for iOS and Android. And, OneNote Online too which can be accessed with any modern browser.

OneNote for Windows 10 gives you a seamless experience across all devices with either keyboard or touch input. Importantly, OneNote for Windows 10 is continuously updated with new features inspired from OneNote 2016.

The elderly OneNote 2016 will cease to be supported after October 2025 (with extended support).

“In fact, over the last year and a half, we’ve added more than 100 of your favorite OneNote 2016 features based on your feedback (thank you!), with more improvements on the way including tags and better integration with Office documents.”

Looking to the future and how your note-taking can build up over time, we can recommend that you opt for OneNote for Windows 10. And follow the tips below to use OneNote at school and at home for your class projects.

1. Send Documents to OneNote With a Click

The first step of notetaking starts with capturing information. Students and teachers can send any document or webpage snippet to OneNote with several methods. These two below are native for OneNote.

Select OneNote as the default printer in Windows 10 Settings. Go to Windows Settings and choose OneNote as the default printer (or Send to OneNote 2016 if you are using it). You can then send any documents to any notebook or page via the Print dialog of the app.

Thanks to this, the old Send to OneNote tool from Microsoft Store becomes redundant.

Use the OneNote Clipper extension on Chrome. Browsers are research tools and the OneNote Web Clipper can save, annotate, and organize anything you grab from the web.

And there are more ways to add anything to OneNote from anywhere. The tips work for both OneNote for Windows 10 and OneNote 2016.

2. Embed Your Files as Cloud Attachments

OneNote for Windows 10 also has a flexible way to handle your attachments. They can be located on your desktop or on OneDrive.

Cloud attachments is a valuable addition for portability and teamwork as your file always stays updated. The embedded document will show up in your notebook as a live preview.

You can open and edit the files. Changes will show up in real time. and it will automatically update via OneDrive. Any changes you make will be saved to the original file and you don’t have to save and re-attach the files again.

It’s a pretty neat feature for students when they do group assignments and even teachers for collaborative learning.

3. Draw on Your Notes With Ink

Teachers can create richer instructions with the inking features on OneNote for Windows 10. Microsoft calls it “Think with Ink“. As the video above demonstrates, you can handwrite notes and draw or sketch things in your notebook.

Of course, it works best on a touch-enabled device like Microsoft Surface or an iPad, but the mouse too can handle some impromptu annotations.

4. Personalize Your Pages

OneNote pages can be scrolled horizontally and vertically. There are no limits. And there’s a way to make them at least appear like real paper.

Personalize your OneNote pages with different colors, rule lines, and grids for the type of content in them.

• Go to View > Page Color.
• Go to View > Rule Lines.

You can also give each Notebook and Section its own color to separate the type of notes more visually. Just right-click a Page or a Section name in your OneNote notebook, and then select a color.

5. Use Linked Audio Recordings as Notes

Typing speed cannot keep up with a teacher’s lecture. A better way is to just jot down the key point while you record the entire lecture.

The Audio feature in OneNote for Windows 10 lets you type the lecture notes while you record. The recording is linked to what you were typing when you started to record. This ensures you don’t miss out on any important information.

To begin an audio recording in your notes, do the following:

1. Click a location on the current page where you want to start the audio recording.
2. On the Insert tab, click Audio.
3. OneNote begins recording immediately.
4. To end an audio recording, do the following:
5. On the Recording tab, click Stop. OneNote ends the recording. If you want to continue recording later, click Record again.

6. Make Information Easier to Find With Color Coding

Before the birth of digital tools, there was the humble highlighter pen. OneNote gives you multiple highlighter colors to choose from. And in different thicknesses. You can choose a different color to annotate or color code the learning material.

For instance, choose “Yellow” for key terms or definitions. Use “Orange” or “Red” to follow up on something. A consistent color code across your notes can help you scan and gather feedback on what you need to do next.

You can use highlighters with a right-click on the selected text, use the Home tab, or annotate with the choices on the Draw tab.

• Use the right-click menu. Select the words and then right-click for the highlighter tool with a choice of colors.
• From the Home tab. Select the words you want to highlight, and then click the Text Highlight Color button. 
• From the Draw tab. The highlighter here is freeform and doesn’t let you annotate in a neat straight line. It is more natural to use with a stylus.

7. Learn Math With OneNote

The Ink Math Assistant is one of OneNote’s best features. It’s a digital tutor that takes a handwritten math equation and solves it step by step. Use it to learn or teach everything from basic math to advanced Calculus.

The Math Assistant can even draw interactive graphs of your equations, thus helping you understand difficult math concepts. For instance, you can go to the interactive graph and change a few variables to see how they affect the final solution.

You can save a screenshot of the graph to your notebook and revise them later. This Microsoft Support article walks you through this fantastic feature.

Note: The Math Assistant is only available with the Office 365 subscription.

8. Use Immersive Reader for Reading Comprehension

The Immersive Reader is a part of OneNote Learning Tools. The full screen reader makes it easy for students of all abilities to read and comprehend any document.

For OneNote for Windows 10, Mac, or iPad, open OneNote. Select View > Immersive Reader.

On the Immersive Reader, you can change text properties, line spacing, fonts, and background color. A feature called Parts of Speech helps readers understand complex sentences by highlighting nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. in a sentence.

Voice options read aloud sentences and improve accessibility. This includes a Picture Dictionary that explains a word with an image and its audio pronunciation.

It can even read out the step by step solutions from a math problem solved by the Math Assistant.

The Immersive Reader is available on OneNote for Windows 10 OneNote 2016, OneNote for the web, and OneNote for iOS.

9. Find Credible Sources With Researcher

The Researcher uses Bing to find relevant information for your homework or academic paper. But it is more than a simple search engine.

It is a serious time saver as you don’t have to jump back and forth between the browser and OneNote. You can use the research tool to search for material with keywords, create outlines, and add sources without leaving the OneNote page you are working on.

1. Go to Insert > Researcher and type in the keywords for your topic.
2. The Results pane shows a list of sources from books, journals, and the web.
3. Choose a topic in the Results pane to explore in detail. You can add the text or images to your notes by clicking the “+” sign in the upper-right corner.

The Researcher is part of the Office 365 subscription plan.

10. Teach With the Class Notebook in OneNote

The OneNote Class Notebook is the perfect collaboration space for teachers who know how to teach interactively online. It is available to them with a Teacher license with the Office 365 subscription. The OneNote Class Notebook is a part of OneNote for Windows 10. And it is available as an add-in for OneNote 2016.

You have to enable the Class Notebook from the Settings. Go to Settings > Options, and set Class Notebook tools to On.

Now, Class Notebook is visible with all its controls in a separate OneNote tab.

The Class Notebook can become the core digital folder for teachers that contains all their resources like lesson plans, class assignments, grading templates, etc. The Notebook also integrates with over 40 third-party services like LMS services.

Best of all, it is a space for collaboration when teachers want to interact with one student or the entire class.

Get the Most Out of OneNote at School

We have scratched the surface. There are loads of OneNote tips and tricks you can unravel once you start using it in class. For instance, we haven’t spoken about the OneNote Staff Notebook which is another collaborative workspace for teachers. We also haven’t seen how you can use polls to gauge feedback in OneNote.

Microsoft is adding features with every update and most of them are something you can’t get with old-school paper and pen. Time to ditch the satchel of books? If you need more convincing, then the power of OneNote templates can do their bit too.

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The Best Telegram Channels and How to Use Them

One of Telegram’s biggest advantages over similar chat apps is how easy it is to join channels and groups. Telegram channels allow you to meet up with people to talk about any topic you’re interested in.

In this article we take a look at the best Telegram channels you should know about. With so many channels to sort through, we’ll show you some of the top picks.

Telegram Channels vs. Telegram Groups

Before we start looking at the best Telegram channels, it’s important to know the difference between Telegram channels and Telegram groups. While they’re similar, they have some distinctions.

Telegram groups are multi-person chats. While they’re suitable for groups of friends or small teams, Telegram also supports groups of up to 200,000 members. In a group, you can assign admins with granular permissions, decide whether new members can see old messages when they join, and pin important messages to the top.

Telegram channels allow you (and a team of admins if you wish) to broadcast messages to an unlimited amount of subscribers. In a channel, the channel’s name, not your account, shows up next to messages. Channels also include a view counter so you can keep track of how many people have read your message.

Telegram channels can be public or private. Anyone can find a public channel by searching on Telegram, but you can only get into private channels through an invite or link.

Essentially, groups allow some number of people to talk together, while channels allow a small number of people to broadcast messages to many subscribers.

How to Find New Telegram Channels

When you want to join a new channel, you have a few methods to find them.

Search in Telegram

The most basic way to find new channels is using Telegram’s built-in search function. While this allows you to search your existing messages, it also doubles as a channel search.

Simply type whatever you’re looking for into the search bar and it will pull up a few matching channels. While convenient, this is pretty limited, so you’ll want to turn to a better method before long.

Browse Telegram Channel Finder Sites

TelegramChannels.me is an unofficial Telegram channel search service that offers a much better way to discover content on Telegram. You can search for channels and groups, as well as sticker packs and bots.

Alternatively, use the Categories section at the top to browse channels about Animals, Education, Technology, and much more. If you want to see only the best, check out the Top 100 Media list to see the highest-rated channels on the service.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, give Telegram Analytics and tlgrm.eu a look. The latter has stickers and games in addition to channels.

When you click the link to open a channel using any of these sites, you’ll see a prompt to open it in Telegram. This lets you easily preview it, then join if you wish.

The Best Telegram Channels Worth Joining

Let’s look at some great Telegram channels you should check out. Of course, not everything in a short list will appeal to everyone’s tastes, so be sure to use the above search services if nothing here catches your interest.

1. @quote

This simple channel provides you with a few famous sayings each day. If you enjoy starting your day with words of wisdom, or want to chew on something interesting as you work, this is a great channel to join.

Recent people quoted on the channel include William James, Mother Teresa, and Confucius. In many cases, the quotes include a link to the speaker’s Wikipedia page so you can learn more about them.

2. Ask Me

Love trivia? Then join this Telegram channel and get a fun fact every day. For instance, you’ll find out what animal has a bigger eye than its brain, what makes something acidic or basic, and who the kings in a deck of cards are.

3. Tech Guide

Want a daily roundup of the biggest tech news? This channel is a great place to get it. Each day, the channel posts a handful of highlights from the news cycle. You’ll learn about upcoming smartphone releases, companies that are shutting down, or rumors about future tech.

It’s a small snippet of info, so you’ll have to dig deeper elsewhere to get full stories. May we suggest MakeUseOf’s Tech News section?

4. Wallpapers Central

Looking for a new mobile wallpaper? Join this Telegram wallpaper channel and you’ll have plenty of options. At the time of writing, it hasn’t been updated in a few weeks, but there’s still a huge back catalog of wallpapers to check out.

Each one includes a download link so you can grab a high-resolution copy of the wallpaper for your device. If you’re looking for something else, check out other great resources for downloading device wallpapers.

5. qt animals

Can’t get enough of adorable animals? This is the channel for you. It regularly posts pictures and GIFs of animals being their cute selves. It could be just what you need to relieve some stress after a tough day.

6. The New York Times

Want to use Telegram to stay updated on what’s happening in the world? The New York Times is one of the largest news organizations to offer a Telegram channel. However, be aware that it posts dozens of times per day. Because of this, you may want to mute the annoying chat app notifications for this channel so that it doesn’t drive you crazy.

If you’d like a global perspective, have a look at The New York Times World instead.

7. English Idioms Land

Ever heard an idiom and don’t know what it means? This channel can educate you. Here you’ll find English idioms and an explanation of what they mean. Plus, each post includes the idiom used in a sentence, so you can understand how they’re used.

Whether you’re a native English speaker who hasn’t heard all of these phrases or someone looking to improve your English, you should enjoy this Telegram channel.

8. Love of Food

Love looking at pictures of fancy food? Need some ideas on what to cook or bake next? Give this channel a look. Every day, it posts pictures of various foods for your visual enjoyment.

You won’t find any instructions here, but it’s still a fun distraction for a few moments at a time.

9. AppleMusicTM

While this channel isn’t officially affiliated with Apple Music, it is one of the best Telegram music channels. It collects new music releases that you can listen to right in the channel.

It’s a great way to discover new music you’ll love if you feel like you’ve been in a rut with your earworms.

10. Daily Channels

This one is a bit meta, as it’s a Telegram channel dedicated to sharing Telegram channels. If you’re interested in discovering new channels daily, then give this one a follow.

While you probably won’t have interest in everything, it’s an easy way to see what else is available without having to look for it by hand. You can easily join the mentioned channels through provided links.

More Telegram Channels to Discover

In this article we’ve taken a look at just a few of the best Telegram channels you can join. There are thousands more to find, from manga and book channels to channels based around photography and movies.

Using the above resources, you can find Telegram channels about anything you like. Be aware that many channels offer illegal downloads, so remember the need to stay on the right side of the law at all times.

To dive deeper into the service, check out our list of useful Telegram bots that perform all kinds of functions.

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How to Build a Simple PHP Website

Want to learn how to build a basic website? Once you might have started off with HTML, but these days the best solution is PHP. While you’ll need some knowledge of HTML to get started, PHP has become the optimum choice for building websites, both static and dynamic.

To learn PHP, the best way to start is with a simple PHP website.

Why Choose PHP for Website Development?

Various options have been available for web development over the years. It started with plain HTML, then HTML with CSS embedded or a CSS file reference. When dynamic websites came along, there were two main choices: ASP (later ASP.NET) and PHP.

According to figures (such as this W3Techs survey) PHP is far more popular, with almost 82 percent of websites using it as a server-side programming language. Compare this with just under 16 percent using ASP.

ASP is supported until 2022. It seems unlikely to exist beyond that in any official capacity, at least not as a web technology. PHP (a recursive acronym for PHP Hypertext Preprocessor) has proven more successful, mainly thanks to easier integration with Linux.

As the open source operating system runs on most web servers, this should not come as a surprise.

What You’ll Need to Build a PHP Website

Before you get started, be sure you have a plain text editor or PHP-ready development environment installed. You can start coding PHP with a tool as simple as Windows Notepad. Examples found in this tutorial have been written in Notepad++.

You should also have a PHP web server to upload your files to. This might be a remote server, or a local computer with a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) or WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP) environment installed. If you’re using Windows, follow this WAMP installation guide to get started.

Finally, you’ll need an FTP program to upload your files to your web server. Using Windows? Try one of these free Windows FTP clients.

Getting Started With PHP: Syntax

The basic syntax for PHP used a set of angled brackets, with each function ending with a semi-colon, like this:

<?php [CODE…CODE]; ?>

In terms of web pages, almost every use of PHP relies on the echo statement. This instructs the browser to output the text and content in the quotes. For example:

<?php "<p>Hello World!</p>"; ?>

Note that the HTML is also included within the quotes. The output for this would typically appear as:

Building a Website: Structure

Whatever code you’re writing your website with, you will need to know the structure of the site before proceeding. This tutorial will show you how to create a single page from reusable PHP files. These might be used to make additional pages, or you may choose a different approach.

Whatever shape you foresee the site developing, take the time to jot a quick plan on a piece of paper. You can then refer to this, perhaps to check the intended content, or see what page to link it to.

Our example is going to be a basic home page, including biographical information and some images.

For this simple PHP website, you’re going to create a single PHP page populated by content from three HTML pages. The index.php file you create can then be edited by adjusting the words and images from the original HTML files.

The code examples shown below are screenshots. You’ll find the original code in my GitHub repository, which is free for anyone to download.

Starting Your Website: The PHP Header

To get started with your website, you’ll need to construct three web pages. These are based upon the basic structure of header, body, and footer.

As you might guess, the header includes title information. However, information for the browser is also included, such as the HTML standard in use, along with CSS references.

Start by creating a file called header.html then add the necessary header information.

For this example, we’ve used a basic CSS file, which you will see is referenced in its own /css/ directory. This file will be called when the page loads in your browser and apply the required font and layout.

Put Content in Your PHP Web Page Body

Every web page consists of a content section known as the “body”. This is the part of a page that you read—what you’re reading now is the body of this page.

Create a file called body.html and add the information you want to include on the page. I’ve included biographical details from my MakeUseOf author page, but you can add whatever you like.

Use a PHP Footer in Your Web Page

The footer section of the web page is next. Create this as footer.html and add some content. This could be copyright information, or perhaps some useful links for anyone visiting your page.

It might be something like this:

With the code added, save the file.

Putting It All Together

With three separate HTML files in /html/ you can use PHP echo to compile them into a single page.

Create a new PHP file called index.php with the following three lines in it:

<?php echo file_get_contents("html/header.html"); ?>

<?php echo file_get_contents("html/body.html"); ?>

<?php echo file_get_contents("html/footer.html"); ?>

Save, upload to your server, then browse to index.php. You should see the completed web page in your browser. Keep in mind that the actual PHP file you have open in your browser consists of just three lines.

Finally, you can add a little PHP flourish with the final line. Include a copyright notice, with an always-updated year:

<p>Copyright © CM Cawley <?php echo date("Y"); ?></p>

This will appear in the index.php file following the footer. Notice how the echo date(“Y”) statement displays the current year in four digits. You can change how this is displayed by referring to this W3Schools list of options. For example, a lower-case “y” would display the year in two-digit format, rather than four.

Use CSS to position and style it, as you would with any other element. Find the CSS for this project in the GitHub, along with the other files.

Well done—you’ve just created your first simple PHP website from scratch.

Is PHP the Best Choice for Coding Websites?

As you might have gathered, PHP isn’t the only way to develop websites. Many frameworks exist already for dynamic, database-driven web experiences, there’s JavaScript and related technologies, and software like Adobe Dreamweaver.

However, if you’re looking to get started with web development, it’s smart to have an appreciation of the basics. If you understand the website building blocks of HTML, CSS, and PHP, you’re well on the way to success.

Check these step by step tutorials to improve your HTML and CSS skills.

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5 Fixes to Try When Your Android Phone Buttons Don’t Work

The 10 Best Homebrew YouTube Channels for Creative Beer Hobbyists

Independent breweries have been popping up left, right, and center. With beer lovers increasingly reaching for a local craft beer rather than a known brand, now’s the perfect time to make your own homebrew. But, how do you get started brewing your own beer?

Several homebrew YouTube channels are dedicated to showing you how to make craft beer. These homebrewing YouTube channels will teach you everything you need to know about how to make your own beer.

1. David Heath Homebrew

David Heath Homebrew offers tons of videos geared toward the budding brewer. This informational homebrew YouTube channel has product reviews of the latest brewing equipment, and also provides basic homebrewing guides.

When you’re ready to start creating your own recipes, David Heath Homebrew will help with that too. You can learn how to make the English Porter, Irish Stout, or even Vienna Lager. If you have any questions, leave a comment on the video. David often interacts with his viewers and will likely give you some much-needed advice.

2. Basic Brewing

Basic Brewing is a homebrew YouTube channel made by two friends: James Spencer, and Steve Wilkes. In most videos, the hosts talk about the brew of their choice, and show short clips of the brewing process. Their videos provide a great way to get to know the different types of beer and even gives you great food pairing ideas.

Not only do the pair create YouTube videos about homebrewing, but podcasts as well. Tuning into their videos and podcasts should help you get started brewing your own beer.

3. Fast Homebrew

The owner of the Fast Homebrew channel prides himself on creating fast, informational, and entertaining videos. He gets right to the point, and his videos are sped up so that you don’t get bored.

In addition to offering a collection of how-to videos, he also has videos dedicated to beginner homebrewing. If you’re interested in creating unique brews, Fast Homebrew loves to experiment and has several videos on his process.

4. Chop and Brew

Created by Chip Walton, Chop and Brew exists to highlight the world of homebrewing. It includes everything from lagers, ales, and experimental brews.

In some videos, Chip gathers with friends for some tasting notes on a craft beer. When you need some inspiration to create great beer, definitely check out Chop and Brew to get some fresh ideas for your next homebrew.

5. Northern Brewer TV

Northern Brewer started out as a brewer supply shop in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since its inception in 1993, Northern Brewer has released a whole line of brewing kits and supplies for anyone who wants to make their own craft beer. The company also created a YouTube channel as a way to educate aspiring homebrewers.

Northern Brewer TV has videos with instructions for its own beer kits, but it also has plenty of resources if you want to brew beer on your own. Pay attention to the instructional videos on how to make a yeast starter, or how to add hops to boiling wort, and you’ll learn something you can use in your own brews.

6. Brew Dudes

Brew Dudes’ channel comes packed with videos featuring beer tasting, as well as tutorials. It’s run by two passionate homebrewers called Mike and John.

If you’re interested in kegging your beer, Brew Dudes has a number of videos that guide you through the process. Brew Dudes also specialize in tasting SMaSH (single malt and single hop) beers, which can give you a good idea about the taste of the hop used in the recipe.

7. Homebrew 4 Life

Homebrew 4 Life centers around a group of friends from San Diego who have brought their love for beer to YouTube. In some of these fun videos, the friends travel the world tasting craft beers in locations like Uruguay and Portland, Oregon.

If you can’t find any good recipes to pair with beer in one of the best recipe management apps, you can also find some tasty comfort food recipes on their channel. When you’re ready to start brewing, don’t forget to take notes on their videos on homebrewing quick tips, as well as their homebrewing tutorials for beginners.

8. Barely and the Hops TV

Jason, an enthusiastic homebrewer, created Barley and the Hops TV as a way to showcase his experimental brews. He also posts videos of his experience taste-testing homebrews and craft beer that he finds in his travels.

The best part about watching Barley and the Hops TV is learning more about his experiments. In one video, Jason challenges himself to brew beer in a pumpkin, and in another he brews beer using grocery store ingredients. You can learn a lot from his channel, as he incorporates basic instructional videos as well.

9. Craft Beer and Brewing

Craft Beer and Brewing started as a Colorado-based beer magazine, and has since extended its reach into YouTube. It’s a reliable resource for all of your homebrewing questions. Not only will this channel take you through a long, step-by-step process of constructing your own home draft system, but it also informs you on how to develop a homebrew recipe, as well as how to brew a great stout.

With all of this helpful knowledge, you’ll get on your way to creating an amazing brew. The crisp, high-quality production makes Craft Beer and Brewing’s videos easy to digest.

10. Beer Geek Nation

Beer Geek Nation hasn’t posted videos lately, but it’s still a great resource for those scouring the internet looking to find the best websites and communities about craft beer. It contains plenty of videos on how to create your first beer, and also provides tips and tricks to make the brewing process easier.

Maybe you just want to chill out and watch some videos about different types of beer. In this case, Beer Geek Nation has a diverse selection of beer reviews as well.

Utilize These Homebrew YouTube Channels

If these videos don’t inspire you to get started making your own homebrew, then I don’t know what will. Watching and learning from passionate homebrewers can give you the information and drive to create your very own craft beer.

Want to pair your homebrew with some delicious food? If you’re new to cooking, check out these awesome helpful online guides for the beginner cook.

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