4 Online Tools That Make Work Easier

I use a plethora of online and app services on my various devices.  Having said that, I haven't really looked into online productivity applications in a long time, so I figured I'd list some that appeal to me.

1. Mint  When I was looking at online financial software for myself some time ago, I do recall checking out Mint.  I like the idea of the one-stop bill management system, phone integration with apps, etc. It claims free services, but I'll have to investigate further to find out how free it truly is.

2. Thymer Thymer caught my eye with the quote "Project management and task planning for people who hate project management and task planning".  Somehow, I often end up managing projects.  I don't particularly enjoy it, but somebody has to do it.  I'm also not very good at organizing details... this might help in future ventures.

3. MindMeister I used mind-mapping apps on my phone a number of years ago.  I like the idea, but I found I didn't consistently use it enough for it to help me organize my life/projects/bills/etc.  As things get increasingly complex and difficult to track, this might help sort things out.

4. WorkFlowy  The site that referred me to this app described it as "Easy, powerful and non-overwhelming list maker".  Obligations are overwhelming, and I have many of those obnoxious things.  This WorkFlowy sounds comforting.  I'll have to give it a shot.

4 Web Sites I Visit Most Often

 My life is pretty boring these days, so the sites I most often visit aren't too surprising.

1. YouTube.  I use YouTube often, as it has so much content, regardless of what I'm trying to find.
2. Grooveshark.  This site is a great source for music, not unlike Pandora, but with more freedom and accessibility.  
3. COCC.org.  Most my classes involve Blackboard or my college email.  I go to COCC's site almost every day for something.
4.  Netflix.  We don't have cable, so any movies or TV are usually watched online. 

Until recently, Bend weather from NOAA and the Northwest Avalanche Center were my daily sites.  Now I sit at desks, go to school, and watch youtube.

3 Powerful PowerPoint Presentations at TED

1. Will drones save us or destroy us?   The presentation uses a mix of video, stills, texts and animations to keep the viewer visually connected.  It is unsure what software was used, however it is a good use of visual aids.

2. A drone's-eye view of conservation  This presentation has some interesting uses of visual aids that flow very well with the talk.  As he talks, stills are added in a main frame that make his presentation make more sense.   The multiple layers he has within a single frame are very effective, and he uses this throughout.

3. The beauty of data visualization  David McCandless uses visualization charts to show information that is both useful to convey the data, and is also fascinating and fun. 

3 Tutorials Explaining Excel Financial Functions

Lynda.com has a full range of videos explaining financial functions for Excel.  Most are locked, open only to members, but a few are viewable to non members.  This particular video is about principle and interest per loan payments (PPMT and IPMT).  While finances are not an area I am tremendously knowledgeable about, the explanation on how to use the function was clear and concise.

Excel-easy.com has a page explaining Pmt, Rate, Nper, Pv, Fv in a brief graphical tutorial.  It isn't the most clear, step by step tutorial, however I was able to follow along and get their results.  If they provided more explanation between the pictures as to what steps were being taken and why, the results would be much better.

Functionx.com has a tutorial on depreciation functions.  I followed along the first function taught,the Double Declining Balance function.  The directions were simple to follow, with informative text, step by step directions, and images that can be followed.  They have many other functions tutorials in the same format.

3 News Articles/Reports Utilizing Data Tables and Charts

The Department of Defense (DOD) has a road map posted in PDF format for Unmanned Aerial Systems of the Federation Of American Scientists (http://fas.org/) that features countless data tables starting on page 3, and continue throughout the publication.  Whether in regards to performance specifications, incident statistics, DOD research and development spending (p. 47), etc., they are needed to accurately convey the information.

The Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov) has a road map as well, highlighting the plans to integrate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in the the National Airspace System (NAS).  While not as frequent, and are more conceptual in nature rather than attempting to describe specific datasets, they exist throughout the publication to highlight many aspects of the difficulties facing such an undertaking as UAS integration in NAS.

Yahoo Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/) has a myriad of data tables to highlight financial information on its main page.  An example of more tables on Textron can be seen here, where they display interactive charts to view company performance.  They effectively display trends and data that investors need to analyze companies.

3 (4 actually) Sites with Examples of Nice Resumes

There are countless resources for resume templates.

My first choice is Linked In.  I like this site for the ease of adjusting details in your experience.  It is a clean template, and can be easily shared online.  The added benefit of the networking aspects of the site are arguably helpful.  The downside is it can be difficult to adjust the resume to specific purposes, and in past experiences found I could not display my phone number (I am sure there is a fix for that however)

Google Docs has resume templates as well, which is helpful in that Google Docs is a great place to store a resume for ease of access and security. I store my secondary resume here, and if I changed format I would likely use this site for a template.

Office.com or Office 365 have a myriad of options, and these would be my third choice.  However, if I understand the assignment correctly, this is a previously mentioned site, so I will move on.

Instant Resume Templates has a number of options organized into different categories.  I looks fairly straight forward to use.

All in all, there are so many examples that come with Office I would think most people need not look elsewhere.

4 Free Online Resources for Learning Office

 1.  Microsoft.com:  Microsoft offers free online resources for its programs and applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.  They have created videos showing step-by-step how to accomplish various tasks.

 2.  GCFLearFree.org:  This site offers information on various Office products, ranging from Office XP to Office 2013.  This is helpful for those not running current software or who prefer older versions.

3.  Saylor Academy:  This website is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers tuition free education courses, including those for Microsoft Office.  The classes are structured in the same way traditional courses are, including learning outcomes and course requirements.

4. udemy.com: This site offers a free crash course on Word as well, broken into sections that are short and to the point.  Many other courses exist on the site, some free, others not.

Of course, if you aren't satisfied with the above options, there are always other options such as YouTube, and lists compiled by sites with information on where to find more free resources such as here.

4 Software Programs I Use Most Often

As someone who uses computers quite regularly, I have a lot of software installed on my computer.  Having said that, I'll try and narrow down my most commonly used programs.

Without a doubt, Mozilla Firefox gets used the most.  This particular browser I use to check email, school work on Black Board, to browse media and entertainment sites such as youtube and netflix, research information, share files, and pay bills.

It's tough to say after that what I use most often.  Until somewhat recently, Windows Live mail got used a great deal, however I stopped using the program as much in favor of using my phone and tablet to manage most of my email unless I have an elaborate email to type.  Even then, I'll often use Firefox instead to log into my accounts.

When I'm busy in school, Microsoft Word 2013 gets used regularly to write papers, even if the project can be typed and submitted online; I like the save functions and knowing the word count. 

I use WinRAR often, as many of the files I download are zipped.