Online Productivity Tools

This takes a bit of time to check out!
I managed to upload a document and learned about not converting to Google Docs format as that means page breaks get lost. This seems like it would have potential to keep my own documents in a format I could use from any computer connected to the web. I'm not sure this will take the place of other products ie Microsoft yet but as more people use them and they get better at "fitting" each other they will start to become the norm. When that happens, look out Microsoft! The value of Microsoft now is they are the norm and therefore compatible with most peoples software, and computer literate people likely know the software. (Microsoft has done a good job of marketing!)

I tried the calendar a year or so ago but found it cumbersome because I do not have a computer in my purse. It was nice to see my calendar from home or work, but my husband could not get in the habit of adding to it so it was just an extra job to maintain. The paper one in my purse, handy at the Drs. office, on the phone or at work just works better for me.

Flickr and YouTube

OMG I am so far behind on this!

I found both Flickr and YouTube user friendly, however I have not uploaded content to either of them. I can get around the sites, search, and if you read the screen you can follow what to do. The things you can make with Flickr intrigues me - cards especially. I have used YouTube more, as many videos from individual consumer reviews, to how to instructions are in YouTube formats. BTW my son really liked the Did You Know 4.0 video, commenting, "It was very informative and not boring!" Personally the information went way to fast for my brain. I have had to watch it 4 times now!

The world is sure changing..."what was the size of a building" when I was a kid will be "the size of a blood cell" when I'm old.

RSS

This was a brand new one for me. I found it a challenge at first to create the account and did not want to have yet another account and password. So my son suggested because I have a Gmail account (now two!) that I use Google Reader to subscribe to RSS feeds. I tried CBC News and Global News. Just today there are 20 headlines with the two subscriptions! I can't imagine having the time to review these daily! It will be interesting to see how it goes over several weeks.

Using Google Reader I made another discovery. Signed on with the same Gmail account I have on my blog, the posts from those blogs I am "following" show up like the RSS feeds!

Ah hah! Now I know how Allison is keeping up with all of us!

The future of hardcopy news seems more at risk than ever!