10 minute read
Ask Cappie the Computer Cat
WHAT IS LIVE TEXT?
Dear Cappie, I’m new to smartphones but recently purchased a new iPhone. An acquaintance told me he is so excited about the “Live Text” option that both iPhones and iPads have and how easy it is to copy actual text from a photo, website, or even a paper document and paste it in emails, notes, text messages, etc. How does it work and how can I find it? A Curious Sun City Grand Reader
If the iPhone you purchased is an XR, XS, 11, 12, or 13 and if you have updated your operating system software to iOS 15 or later, the Live Text feature is on your phone. For iPad users, the iPad mini (5th gen), iPad (8th gen), iPad Air (3rd gen), iPad Pro 11-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen) or later, (updated to iOS 15.1), also offer the Live Text feature. The feature is also available on MacBooks or Mac desktop computers that run macOS Monterey or later using the Photos App. The simplest definition is that Live Text identifies words in an image and then converts the words into plain text that you can copy and then paste into a social media post, a Note, email, or document; and can translate languages, make phone calls, look up directions, etc. Currently, it works for English, French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese languages. To turn on Live Text for all supported languages, go to Settings > General > Language & Region > Live Text (tap to turn it on). Once Life Text is turned on, you can use the option in the Camera App or any other App that has the Camera option in the app, like Notes or Reminders. There are a few ways to use Live Text, depending on what device you are using. n On the iPhone and iPad, you can use Live Text with the
Camera app without taking a photo. ✲ Open Camera and position the iPhone so the text appears within the camera frame. Any text that is identified by your device will be framed at the corners by yellow. ✲ After the yellow frame appears around detected text, tap on the screen. After you select the text, choose any of the following commands:
Copy Text, Select All,
Look Up, Translate, or
Share. ✲ In addition, you can also go to a website, make a call, or start an email by just tapping the website link, phone number, or email address on the screen. Tap to return to Camera. n You can also use the Photos app on iPhone, iPad, and
Mac to select text, as you would on a webpage. ✲ On an iPhone or iPad, you can tap and drag while on a Mac you can hover your pointer over the image until you see the text selection cursor and then drag to select. ✲ If you have taken a photo of a page or a
PowerPoint slide during a presentation, you can convert it into in plain text. This makes it easier to manipulate and it’s much smaller than storing text in image format. ✲ You can also take screenshots of presentations and then grab the text to place it in a more usable format.
It is especially useful to copy recipes, formulas, directions, etc. Along the same lines, if you are using the Notes app, you can use the camera to scan text and documents. Click on the Camera option at the bottom of page and then tap Scan Text. Position iPhone so that the text appears within the camera frame. After the yellow frame appears around detected text, tap . Drag or use grab points to select text, then tap Insert to place the text in another document. Another option is to scan an entire document. Again, in the Notes app, tap the camera icon at the bottom of the page, and choose Scan Documents. Position the iPhone so that the document page appears on the screen; iPhone automatically captures the page. Live Text eliminates the need for additional apps to convert text from images into usable plain text. The best way to learn how to use these features is to try them out. Take a picture of a sign or of a recipe or of a computer message, and paste the text into a message, a Word document, or a Note. Then try to translate, send to a friend or research! Once you experiment, you will find many uses for this feature.
View the digital version of “Ask Cappie” monthly column by going to www. grandinfo.com. Click on the More News>Grand Lifestyles Magazine> to choose the month you want to view. Special thanks to Kathy for sharing her photo of Mikey, a 5 pound, 9-year-old Chihuahua who thinks and acts like a “big” dog. He loves to go riding in the car and will jump and turn in circles at the very mention of a car ride.
Aly Cline Council Member
The City is making a major investment into the vitality and well-being of the West Valley with plans to build a multigenerational community resource center in partnership with Maricopa County. On Tuesday, April 5, City Council voted to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County for the $26 million building project. The next day, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors also voted to approve the IGA, dedicating $18 million of their federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward the project while the City is committing $8 million from a combination of City ARPA funds and General Fund dollars. This partnership will create an estimated 38-thousand square-foot center on Cityowned land in Surprise’s historic Original Town Site. The new campus will improve resources for families, seniors, youth and vulnerable populations by centralizing and expanding programs and services from several aging city buildings, including the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library and Surprise Senior Center. The campus will be at the corner of Hollyhock Street and Santa Fe Drive, will be built on shovel-ready land and should be completed by 2025.
Northwest Regional Library Opening Sundays
The City of Surprise and the Maricopa County Library District are opening the Northwest Regional Library on Sundays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., beginning Sunday, May 15. The Northwest Regional Library is located in the Surprise Recreation Campus at 16089 N. Bullard Ave. Currently, the hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/library and click on Northwest or call 602.652.3000.
Surprise Boards and Commissions
The City of Surprise is currently accepting applications for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Personnel Appeals Boards, City Audit Committee, Judicial Selection Advisory Commission and Public Safety Retirement Commission (Fire & Police). All Board/Commission positions are voluntary, and you must reside in the City of Surprise. Applications are available online at surpriseaz.gov/boards. Please submit applications to the City Clerk’s Office in person by appointment or by email to clerk@ surpriseaz.gov. The Clerk’s office is available by phone at 623.222.1200.
Property Tax Rate
We’ve been receiving some questions about the City of Surprise tax rate. It has not increased. The primary tax rate in the City of Surprise is $0.7591 per $100 of Assessed Limited Property Value (LPV), plus the secondary property tax rate of $0.3880 per $100 of Assessed Limited Property Value (LPV). These rates multiplied by the assessed value of your home determine what you pay in property taxes. If the value of your home increases, you will see an increased tax bill; however, that is not due to an increase in the property tax rate but rather an increase in the assessed value of your home.
Arizona History and Culture Virtual Speaker Series Continues
Experience stories of Arizona history and culture at upcoming speaker events presented by the Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission in partnership with Arizona Humanities. Local experts from Arizona Humanities’ AZ Speaks program will present on the following topics: n Saviors and Saints on the Arizona
Frontiers (Speaker: Jan Cleere)
June 8 • 11 a.m. – Noon n Bisbee: The Alchemical City of Copper
Borderlands (Speaker: Virgil Hancock)
October 11 • 11 a.m. – Noon The events are free, but registration is required. For more information, please contact the Human Service & Community Vitality Department at 623.222.3243.
Meet and Greet
My next monthly Meet and Greet will be on Tuesday, June 28, in Sun City Grand’s Pima room at 6 p.m. I look forward to discussing the latest City news and answering any questions you have. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me anytime at aly.cline@ surpriseaz.gov or by calling 623.222.1322.
City Council Meetings
The next regularly scheduled Council meetings are June 7 and 21 at 6 p.m., and City Hall is open to the public for inperson attendance. You can also watch live on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/ cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11.
JUNE FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Please visit the various websites for face mask and safety guidelines.
Each month, we are proud to provide GrandKids Corner, a varied list of activity options for you, our Residents, and your families.
LEARN HOW THE SLOW SURVIVE
Arizona Science Center 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix
n (602) 716-2000 n Recurring daily, through August 7th n $8.95 NonMembers; $6.95 for Members n 10:30 AM–4:00 PM n www.azscience.org/attractions/ survival-of-the-slowest
Sometimes being slow, small or weak can have its advantages! Survival of the Slowest, Arizona Science Center’s latest exhibition, looks at the often overlooked species that have used their disadvantages to help them survive—and even thrive—in a world where large, strong and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain.
Guests get an up-close look at wildlife and daily presentations featuring a live sloth, hedgehog, iguana and more. Meet animals that have survived for millions of years despite being very slow, and learn about the puzzling sides of evolution and adaptation. Discover the difference between warm- and cold-blooded species, discover why some animals need less food than others and see the unique ways they hide from predators. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY WITH PHOENIX YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
The Madison Center for the Arts 5601 N. 16th St., Phoenix
The School of Ballet Arizona presents The Sleeping Beauty with Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras June 3 – June 5, 2022 at The Madison Center for the Arts. Get a glimpse of the progression in ballet training, from intermediate to advanced level students on the verge of professional careers. A treasured fairy tale full of curses, magic, and fantasy, The Sleeping Beauty displays all the charms and grandeur of classical ballet. This production demonstrates and celebrates the remarkable accomplishments of both organizations and gives audiences the rare opportunity to experience a performance by the next generation of performing artists in Phoenix. CINDERELLA: A CLASSIC FAIRYTALE OPERA
Arizona Opera 1636 North Central Ave., Phoenix
n (602) 266-7464 n June 11, 2022 n 1:00 PM and 2:15 PM n https://tickets.azopera.org/ summer-family-day/classic-fairytale-opera
Come early and grab a snack from the food truck and get creative with a special craft activity lead by the Arizona Opera Costume Shop!
Transport your students to the magical world where Cinderella resides! Join Cinderella as she overcomes the bullying of her evil step-sisters and finds her Prince Charming with a little help from a special fairy along the way. With colorful characters and melodies, this classic fairytale story will teach your students the morals of kindness towards all, forgiving others, and never letting a bad thing ruin your heart. This production is a 35-minute adaptation from La Cenerentola, by Gioachino Rossini, and Cendrillon by Jules Massenet. Study guides are available to enhance classroom learning.
