4 Online Tools That Make Work Easier

Remember The Milk

I actually checked this out for the first time after Ralph told us about it the first week of CIS 120.  Very good multi-purpose organizational tool for scheduling daily, weekly or monthly tasks.  I like that certain tasks can be set to repeat at intervals so you don't have to make multiple entries.  My one complaint about it is the fact that the app version only syncs with your online account if you upgraded to the "pro" version but that's not a huge deal breaker as you can just as easily rely on one or the other.

Remember The Milk

Google Drive

Google drive is a great way to manage files and not have to worry about where they are physically located.  Files and documents are saved to the cloud, which means they can be accessed anywhere you can get an internet connection without having to worry about portable media such as flash drives.  Another nice feature is that when you're working on a file, it autosaves every few seconds so the chances of losing data is very minimal.  Google drive also allows file sharing between users making group projects easier.

Google Drive

Microsoft One Drive

Similar to Google drive, this is Microsoft's version that also allows cloud storage of files and documents as well as the ability to share them.  After looking into both, I prefer the Google Drive product as I feel it is easier to navigate and perform the functions that you want.

Microsoft One Drive

Evernote

I have not used this yet but it looks like a very promising website/app in which you can organize your notes, to-do lists and various projects to keep everything organized.  From what I can tell there are a few different subscription levels, with the pro levels having additional features such as collaboration and possible file sharing.  It also looks like there's a downloadable app which will sync with the online service, even with the free version.  One cool feature that I would be interested in using is the ability to take pictures and associate that with your notes; this would be a really cool idea for taking class notes, such as taking a picture of something drawn on the white board.

Evernote

4 Web Sites I Visit Most Often

Google

I have google set as my default page when I open the Chrome browser, but despite that I still use the search engine enough to make it one of the top web pages I visit.  Google has been an immense help with everything from researching topics for college papers, to looking up pictures, articles and other topics of interest.  Hands down my favorite search engine.

Google

Blackboard

Blackboard is the online interface for most classwork at COCC.  I spend a good deal of time here everyday doing homework assignments, quizzes and the like, and keeping on top of my grades in each class.

COCC Blackboard

Youtube

Youtube is a great source of content whether you are looking for comedy, researching a subject or just looking at videos of interest.  On the flip side tho, I feel that youtube is equally full of garbage since anyone can upload there, so a certain amount of caution is required.  Still, I find myself going there frequently enough and for the most part I enjoy it.  However, I have to be careful myself because looking for a specific video can often turn into a huge time waster as I eyeball the "Suggested Videos" area based on what I'm currently watching.

Youtube

Gmail

My gmail account serves as my hub for all my important college-related and personal e-mail.  It gets checked multiple times daily.  One thing I like is the ease of making labelled folders and organizing your e-mail into them so that if you need to go back and look for an important e-mail, you don't necessarily have to search for a needle in a haystack to find it.

Gmail

3 Powerful PowerPoint Presentations at TED

Bertrand Piccard: My solar-powered adventure

In this presentation, Bertrand Piccard talks about the challenges of flying a solar-powered aircraft around the world, non-stop, using only solar power and electric motors.  Throughout the presentation he uses a variety of actual photographs and schematics that compliment what he is talking about while not entirely relying on the visual aids to deliver his message.

Bertrand Piccard's Solar-Powered Adventure

Erika DeBenedictis: Strategies for fuel-efficient space travel

In this presentation, Erika DeBenedictis talks about different strategies that are being considered to reduce the amount of fuel necessary for a manned mission to Mars.  Her presentation features several diagrams and charts to help her make her case.

Erika DeBenedictis: Strategies for fuel-efficient space travel

Stewart Brand + Mark Z. Jacobson: Debate: Does the world need nuclear energy

This was a rather interesting presentation that was actually a debate between two people on whether or not the world needs nuclear energy.  Both sides of the argument used good visual aids with pictures and charts to present their argument.  It appeared to me that some of the charts were actually created in Excel and imported into PowerPoint; it looked very crisp and professional.

Stewart Brand + Mark Z. Jacobson: Debate: Does the world need nuclear energy?

3 Tutorials Explaining Excel Financial Functions

1.  Hun Kim Youtube Video

A very nice, short and sweet video tutorial/demonstration of the PMT function in Excel.  Narrator does a good job of explaining how to use the function.

Address:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiVU5qeX48Q
Link:  Hun Kim PMT Function Tutorial

2.  TVM Calcs

This site shows a couple different examples of the future value function.  No video with this one but it shows several screenshots and instructions for you to follow along with a practice worksheet to see the results for yourself.

Address:  http://www.tvmcalcs.com/calculators/excel_tvm_functions/excel_tvm_functions_page1
Link:  TVM Calcs

3.  ExcelFunctions.net

This site shows several different financial functions in Excel; this particular one talks about the yield function and how to properly use it.  It also tells you of some common mistakes that can be made and how to quickly correct them so the function works.

Address:  http://www.excelfunctions.net/Excel-Yield-Function.html
Link:  ExcelFunctions