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

3 News Articles/Reports Utilizing Data Tables and Charts

1.  Gunpolicy.org

While this isn't specifically a news site, it contains a wealth of data about firearm ownership, use, and crime in virtually all countries around the world.  There are a multitude of charts to choose from and you can even create your own (to a point) if you want to compare data; for example, comparing gun ownership rates in the U.S. and Canada from the last 10 years.  I used this site as a resource when doing an essay on gun control facts in a previous class.

Address:  http://www.gunpolicy.org/
Link:  GunPolicy

2.  MacroTrends Unemployment Data

A nice, graphical line representation of our nation's unemployment data since September of 2002.  According to the site, the data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Address:  http://www.macrotrends.net/1339/unemployment-rate-last-ten-years
Link:  MacroTrends Unemployment Data

3.  GasBuddy.com

A nice site with a variety of charts showing average gas price data throughout the United States.  You can select several different charts showing gas prices for the last month, year, and several other time period ranges.

Address:  http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=24
Link:  GasBuddy

3 Sites with Examples of Nice Resumes

1.  Resume.com

This website features several different resume designs that range from old school and "classic" to modern, crisp and professional.  I didn't see any downloadable templates for use in Word; it appears that you have to build your resume there using the website interface.  Either way, they have some very nice looking templates to choose from.

Website and Link:  http://www.resume.com  Resume.com

2.  Microsoft Templates

In addition to what comes pre-loaded on Microsoft Word, Microsoft offers downloadable resume templates for use in Word.  Good variety of themes and designs available for download.

Website and Link:  https://store.office.live.com/templates/Resumes%20and%20Cover%20Letters Microsoft Word Resume Templates

3.  Primer Magazine

Primer Magazine (online) offers 7 free resume templates for use in Microsoft Word.  There's a preview for each template (or you can download them all) and in all reality I did not see one that I didn't like the style of.  And if those 7 aren't enough to choose from, at the bottom of the page there's a link to 12 more.

Website and Link:  http://www.primermagazine.com/2011/earn/7-free-resume-templates
Primer's 7 Free Resume Templates

4 Free Online Resources for Learning Office

1.  GCF Learn Free

This website features free tutorials for all of the Microsoft Office products.  I looked into the section dedicated to Microsoft Word and they had their tutorials neatly broken down into different categories depending on what kind of task you were trying to accomplish.  Quite a few screen caps of the menus as well which would help in finding the right button for the job.

Address:  http://www.gcflearnfree.org/word2013
Link:  GCF Learn Free Word 2013

2.  Microsoft Office Training

Microsoft's own training section which covers all of their products.  Categories are typically broken down by skill level, ranging from "Beginner" tasks to "Advanced".

Address:  https://support.office.com/en-US/Article/Training-courses-for-Excel-2013-aaae974d-3f47-41d9-895e-97a71c2e8a4a?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
Link:  Training Courses for Excel 2013

3.  MrExcel

They claim to be "Your One Stop For Excel Tips & Solutions" and from what I've seen, that claim definitely looks to be accurate!  A wealth of information on the Excel program.  There is also a Youtube channel that features Excel video tutorials several times per month.

Addresses:  http://www.mrexcel.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/user/bjele123/
Links:  MrExcel and MrExcel on Youtube

4.  Udemy

Udemy offers a free introductory PowerPoint course.  The course is broken down into a series of videos that start with introductory videos and progress to basic functions.  The tutorial does require signing up with an e-mail address but the content is free.  They also offer more advanced courses for a fee if people want to continue their learning.

Address:  https://www.udemy.com/introduction-to-microsoft-powerpoint-2013/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-YmBdQlvnd_6JG_XQyKPyiQ&LSNPUBID=je6NUbpObpQ
Link:  Udemy PowerPoint Free Course