Technology Tips: August 2025 Edition
#Tips
Skyward IT Services
by
Skyward IT Services
![]() |
Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists |
Share YouTube videos at just the right moment
The balancing act of teaching or presenting is a tightrope. Save yourself any fumbling or fast-forwarding by copying a YouTube video link at a specific timestamp, so when you start the video it’s right at the crucial information.Once you reach the point you want your audience to jump in, click the share button. A checkbox below the link will pop up a display with the timestamp. Adjust as needed and then copy the link. When you click it later, the video will automatically start at the time chosen in the share options.
Bonus: embedding YouTube links in Google Slides decks will bypass ads. For other platforms, try inserting a simple dash (“-“) between the “t” and “u” in youtube in the URL. Like so: “yout-ube.com/embedcode”
Sick of spam texts? Tell on them.
Before you hit the block button on that wall of text about DMV deadlines or fines you just got from a weird number, forward it on to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). Forward the message to 7726 (folks of a certain age may know what this code spells) or just use the messaging app’s report junk feature.
Use PowerPoint Online for live translation
Microsoft 365 PowerPoint offers live transcription, but that’s not all! Because subtitles can also appear in a different language than the presenter is speaking, subtitles can stand in as translation tools for students who are learning English as another language.Dive into the step-by-step tips from Microsoft’s support center.
Malware of the month: All the pressure
A recent study by the nonprofit Center for Internet Security (CIS) has revealed human error and school schedules are key to bad actors’ timing when attacking K12 schools.CIS worked with data from surveys and programs they use to gather information about cyber threats in return for low-cost support. One such service called Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) blocked more than 1 billion attempts to connect with malicious websites using web advertisements. Their findings also show K12 cyberattacks spike during the busiest times of the school year, including exam weeks.
While no one can advocate for taking the district calendar offline, these findings emphasize that keeping schools safe from cyberattacks requires constant (human) vigilance, even during the busiest times of the school year. Safe cyber travels!
![]() |
Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists |
|