Archive for May, 2007
Google Docs is great for written documents and spreadsheets, but what about the rest of the office suite? Enter Empressr, a web based presentation application. With an interface somewhat similar to PowerPoint, Empressr is a Flash application for the creation and sharing of slide-based presentations. The interface is clean and makes it very easily to add images, text, Flash, charts, and other elements to a slide. Changing the layout of a slide is as easy as clicking the element and dragging. Multiple templates are included as well. Overall a pretty slick presentation application at a good price (Free!) with the added benefit of being web-based
Empressr
Microsoft Word has a pretty slick AutoSumarize tool. After writing a document, Word on summarize it in one of four ways. This is great for making an abstract of your document, but keep in mind that the summary will most likely need some editing.
AutoSummarize a Word Document
Doing a google search on a topic is the go-to method for finding information on the web. But what if you want more specific, or directed answers? WikiAnswers and Yahoo! Answers are great tools for finding the answer you are looking for. With both sites, you post your question and the users of the site submit answers. Select the best one and you’re all set.
The one down side to this system is the wait. Depending on your question, an answer may arrive very quickly, or take quite awhile. While this is a pain if you are in a hurry, the quality of the answers given usually offsets the wait.
WikiAnswers
Yahoo! Answers
Amiko allows you to create an online resume. Basically, Amiko hosts an online version of your resume on their server and provides a link for you to post to online job sites like monster.com. Some of the more notable features are the ability to re-arrange your resume by simply clicking and dragging on items, unlimited photo gallery, and really simple editing of content. Amiko looks like a pretty slick tool for those embarking on their job search adventure.
Amiko
At this point, it’s widely known that employers check out potential employees’ Facebook profiles as part of their background screening. Many employers also check on existing employees as well. So, how do you maintain a Facebook account without getting burnt? //engtech has an informative article on using Facebook in a work-safe manner.
Outlined in the article:
Understanding the Relationship Levels
Changing The Default Privacy SettingsHave a Professional and a Personal Profile
Friends Not Acquaintances
Don’t Use the “Find Your Friends” Feature
Don’t Use Facebook at Work
Hide Your Groups
Identity Theft
Facebook Privacy Policy
It’s a rather lengthy list, but it might be worth a read for those heading out into the working world.
How to use Facebook without Losing Your Job over it
TutorLinker is an online marketplace for tutors. A user can find a tutor based on geography, subject matter, or pricing. The site has a pretty slick Google maps mashup that allows you to see where tutors are located.
As of right now, there is not a wide distribution of tutors, but as the site grows this will change. Right now the search is limited to location, which is somewhat limiting as well.
All in all, a pretty slick idea. Hopefully the site will take off, and more regions will benefit.
Selling your textbooks online is a great way to avoid getting ripped off by your university book store. Another great thing about selling books online is the opportunity to sell back books the bookstore won’t even take back. Not all professors change books at the same time, so you have a greater chance of selling your books online once a new edition comes out. There are a number of sites providing textbook selling, but the two most popular are amazon.com and half.com.
The key to selling your textbooks online is the ISBN. Using the ISBN of your book ensures that the proper edition is listed. The slick thing about using your ISBN with half.com and amazon.com is that the whole process is automated. Just type in your ISBN and a listing is created for you with a picture of the book and description.
The shipping fees are somewhat steep, but you are able to reach a much broader audience and get more than the $5 the bookstore will give you.
Amazon
Half
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