There are many time saving technologies out there that are not widely known. To start rolling back the frontiers of ignorance in modern technology, I am listing five of my favorites.
But I want you to contribute to the effort by sharing your own favorite technologies in the comments section. To sweeten the deal, I will grant one extra credit point to every student who posts a technology, with one point per posting.
Google Desktop
We all know that the Windows search function is next to useless. It takes ten minutes to return hundreds of results; none of which is the file you want, and let’s not even talk about MS Outlook. We find files by surfing our folder hierarchy, not sure if that marketing memo from the boss is under “Marketing” or “Memos.” But in the end it doesn’t matter because the filename doesn’t match the contents of the file anyway.
Google has come to the rescue with Google Desktop. This free system integrates easily into your computer and uses the exact same search page that Google uses to search the Internet. But instead of searching the Internet, it searches your own desktop. I use Google Desktop almost exclusively to find files, and probably save a half hour a day by doing so.
Here is a short video I made on how to download and use this free feature (how I made the video comes next):
http://screencast.com/t/uyeG1Jkc
Jing
Jing is wonderful little web application that allows you to make narrated videos of the contents of your monitor. I used Jing to create the Google Desktop tutorial. These videos are a much more effective way to teach others a simple task than describing it with text. Jing also allows you to do screencaptures with drawings.
Best of all, the files can either be saved on your own computer, or the Jing server, with links to the file to send to others. Again, this is what I used with the Google Desktop tutorial.
Visit the Jing website, watch the tutorials, and download the free software at: http://www.jingproject.com
TinyURL
We all know the frustration of having someone send you a long URL by email that gets separated onto more than one line. Invariably, your browser only picks up one line of the URL when you click it, and so returns an error message. Tiny URL solves this problem by converting any length URL into a shortened version.
This free service is found at:
Delicious
Most of us have hundreds of bookmarks on our browser that are cluttered and hard to search. Plus, they are tied to one machine, and so we can’t reach them when working on another computer. Delicious is a free website that allows you to save your bookmarks online, where they can be accessed from any computer. Better yet, they can be tagged to make them easy to search. They can even be shared with others. I leave the Delicious sidebar open on my browser to allow me to quickly search for bookmarks. Take a look at the screenshot of my Delicious sidebar below (the screenshot was made using Jing):
Download the Delicious software, which integrates into your browser, at:
YouSendIt
I frequently need to send very large files to others, such as 50+ MB narrated PowerPoints, Zip files of class material, or videos. These files are too large for email attachments, so I send them with YouSendIt, which allows users to send files up to 100 MB to others for free. You upload the files to a server, enter one or more email addresses, and hit “send.” The file is uploaded to the server from your machine, the system sends the recipients an email with a link to the file, and the recipients click the link to download the file from the server to their machine. You can also pay for upgrades that allow you to send much larger files.
Take a look at the YouSendIt video I made (with Jing) and set up your own free account:
Weekly Question
Last week’s question was:
Why did Norwich University move from its original location in Norwich, Vermont, to its current location in Northfield, Vermont?
The answer is:
The original campus building burned down. The university was temporarily moved to Connecticut, and then to its current location in Northfield, Vermont.
As nobody got the question right, the copy of the book 100 Encrypted Sudoku Puzzles for the Information Assurance Professional rolls over to this week’s winner.
This week’s question:
What position did Alden Partridge, founder of Norwich University, hold in the military before resigning his commission?
Send your entry to: jorlando@norwich.edu
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteThere are two applications that I have found useful since a colleague shared them with me in late 2006.
Everyone should be familiar with Firefox, so several of you may be pleased to know that Firefox has a portable version surprisingly called "Firefox Portable." It is designed to be downloaded onto a USB Drive (or thumb drive) and runs completely from your portable drive (I have used it from thumb drives as small as 250 MB). You can keep all of your favorites and be perfectly portable. Download Firefox Portable at: http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable
Now, for all of you walkers, runners and bicyclists, let me introduce GMaps Pedometer. You can start anywhere in the continental US, map (and save) your routes, plan new routes and know how many miles you have traveled. An added feature is you can export to GPX (and, ultimately to GPS, but I don't have a GPS). Try GMaps Pedometer at: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/
Enjoy!
A note about TinyURL:
ReplyDeleteWhile this, and services like bit.ly are convenient for using Twitter and other services where text size matters, many have expressed security concerns. As users grow more accustomed to clicking links to these services, they completely ignore the recommendations by security practitioners to look for suspicious URL characteristics -- double domain names, script characters, or whatever else is out of place. Web sites can be changed to shorten their own URLs -- put pressure on them to do so, instead of using services that can hide malicious code and drive-by downloads.
As for useful web services, I highly recommend the Opera browser. Available for all major platforms (Mac, Linux, and Windows), Opera is the leading edge of features. Things that appear months or years later in Firefox or IE often have a start in Opera -- like tabs, bookmark nicknames, etc. For people who do serious web browsing, features in Opera are must-haves: custom searches, speed dial, and the my.opera.com service that syncs your browser experience between computers.
Hi John
ReplyDeleteMy hang up with posting to the blog was due to incorrect access to the "followers" piece...so I never saw the comment box. Thanks for your help.
Here is my input for the new technology blog:
Whistletree.com offers free conference calling which may also be called toll conference calling. This means that each caller is responsible for any long distance charges they may encounter when dialing into the 402 dial in number. However, Whistletree does not charge you anything to hold a call and we will never invoice you (unless you subscribe to a paid webinar subscription which is a completely separate feature). The recordings and any features you also receive when signing up for a free whistletree account remain free and you will not be charged for them.
If you are interested in toll free conference calling you may check out www.whistletree.biz and sign up there!
***
Hope you like it and that it qualifies for an extra point. Take care John.
Regards
Dianne
978 374 0200
One technology I am strongly recommending with regards to a tool for education is the incorporation of the IPod into the educational arena. Apple has a section within their I-Tunes page called I-Tunes U. With the mobile revolution in full swing, there are plenty of uses we can apply this technology to. for instance, I envision the ability to see and also hear weekly presentations from our instructor over my IPod. Since I take a train to work, it's the perfect time and place. Learning can also be incorporated into our cars during our daily commute. The key success factor applicable to all learninf is repetition. This tool allows for unlimited repetition for the learning enviornment.
ReplyDeleteIt's also my vision that schools and universities will be requiring IPods as standard issue for use within their programs for a multitude of applications. A very helpful link to support my comment is below.
http://www.apple.com/education/mobile-learning/
Since this is partially a Business Continuity sharing environment, another technology we all need to be using is backup and recovery technologies available today. Losing valuable data can cost you and your business a lot of money. For your home PC, you really need to have a backup system in the event of hard drive crashes and data loss occurs. As an Apple user, I can recommend the time capsule storage system. It's wireless and up to 1TB of storage:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.apple.com/timecapsule/
For larger enterprise type systems, I had the privilege of a demo incorporating the latest software from EMC. It's just like TIVO for your computer:
http://www.emc.com/solutions/business-need/backup-recovery-archiving/index.htm
Unfortunately, people learn this the hard way in order to get the message across that backup and recovery is an investment just as important as the equipment you are buying itself. It's best to be proactive and protect yourself and your data!
Another technology we should be using is Google Earth. This is a lifesaver in within the Business Continuity profession. As many companies have facilities that are spread across the US as well as the globe, their Crisis Management office will most likely be at another location. It is a great tool that compliments your Emergency Management program and I highly recommend it. Just do a search on Google earth, download it and stary playing around. You will be amazed at what you accomplish. And it's FREE! http://earth.google.com
ReplyDeleteCommunications indeed plays a critical role in any Continuity/Emergency Management program. Interoperability is going to play a role in your event. That said, I can highly recommend any common push to talk technology available today. You may recall Nextel/Sprint's commercials with the student playing hooky from school and delivery people find him in seconds. This works nationwide to reach anyone in seconds. I've used this and continue to marvel at its capabilities. Again, communications should never be overlooked.
ReplyDeleteIf you are into technology, I cannot stress enough the importance of the right software for your continuity program. There are many out there, but you have to choose the one that fits your organization best. I am an avid user of Strohl/Sungard BIA, LDRPS, and Incident Management software. These tools of the trade really simplify and reduce excess work required when developing and updating your plans. they really beat the traditional word document format by a mile.
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone
ReplyDeleteTake a look at this one...Suggested Sites..which provides sites that are aligned with those found to be favored by the user:
https://ieonline.microsoft.com/#ieslice
Dianne
Matt:
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we have to move to mobile learning. Blackboard, which recently bought Angel, is developing an application to allow the courses to be downloaded to mobile devices. Stay tuned!
John
I really liked your blog quite informative and interesting facts and figures you have discussed on your blog even the comments are very fruitful and helpful in enhancing the knowledge regarding the topic.
ReplyDelete