We Gather Light To Scatter
FREELANCERS, INVOICE! FreshBooks ... A number of options are available for small businesses to keep invoicing organized and well managed. FreshBooks, which allows direct online payment for clients, is our favorite. The latest version adds expense tracking and PDF file export. Accounts scale up in pricing to allow up to 5,000 unique clients ($149 per month). though the 3-client Moped version is completely free.
LIVING ON ACLOUD Glide .. Taking the operating system off the PC entirely, Glide has achieved an in-browser experience that collects most basic apps and functions in an environment that's completely Web based. The 2008 version has across-the-board compatibility with nearly all smart phone operating systems, as well as Mac, Windows, and Linux, and the included applicationsword processor, conferencing, spreadsheet, presentation software, calendar, e-mail, and contacts-make a complete office suite. Watch Video Demo of Glide OS 3.0
Social networking meets Wikipedia in an information-sharing research tool that posts "notebooks" of collected research compiled by experts, the curious, or the curiously obsessed. iLeonardo, in its best moments, saves time locating obscure information that might otherwise be buried in giant search engines. You can subscribe to the notebooks, which automatically update as their curators add more material; you can even contribute relevant links.
BUDDY BUZZ FriendFeed • Assemble your busy social networking life into one rundown of posts with FriendFeed, which is compatible with more sites than competitors we've seen, and has more users. Yes, it's yet another wayto add friends and collect info-but it's a solid step toward gathering an increasingly fractured social world into one window (at least for now).
BEST WEBMAIL GETS BETTER Gmail • Google's myriad apps are rapidly taking over the Web world from the inside out, so it's sensible that Google start experimenting within their own apps as well. Gmail's Labs feature opens up an experimental landscape oftweaks, any ofwhich can be undone: quick links to e-mail searches or threads, Google Talk appearance modifications, and more. And Gmail's new iGoogle widget makes scanning for new messages a less time-consuming process.
InstantAction - Browser gaming is the latest trend in interactive entertainment, and recent progress has been astonishing. InstantAction, created by the Xbox Live Arcade developers of such games as Marble Blas, offers games that are console-quality without the box, One of their latest, the multiplayer first-person shooter Fallen Empire, Legions, has 16-player 3D action that could have been sold in stores just a few years ago, Coming next: racers and air combat
PIMPING THE PUMP GasPriceWatch ... Fuel costs are outrageous and getting worse, but the good-or frustrating thing
is that prices aren't standardized. To find the cheapest tank of gas in the neighborhood, check in with the userdriven
network of GasPriceWatch. Colorcoded
map coordinates tell how fresh the information is, and the searchable data covers the entire U.S. The mobile phone app is coming soon.
FREE TV, LEGALLY Hulu (only in the United States)... Back in the glory days of YouTube, mainstream content was available for all to see, Bigwig corporate media companies caught on, and now that content is hosted by independent collectives, such as Hulu, the video streaming repository of NBC and News Corp. TV episodes, movies, and other programs are available for free, including The DailyShow, Family Guy, and House, and play exceptionally well, Unfortunately TV seasons are rarely offered in their entirety. As the collection grows and more partners hopefully sign on, services like Hulu won't just replicate TV-they will be TV.
With new Web platforms such as Adobe Air and Google Gears, the Web is getting
better at replicating that old-school software you used to download, Gears wins our vote for best platform because the invisible plug-in allows browser apps to perform seamlessly even when off-line Replace Word with Google Docs and anything you write or edit will be ready for upload when you return to the Wi-Fi world,
Best Web Tools
More to come....
Online tutorials & videos
The following online tutorials are mostly free and will teach you quite a bit about Excel. In fact they are better than some of the expensive classroom training courses.
1. Online introduction to Excel: If you are just starting to use excel, this is the perfect resource for you. Here you will find dozens of audio courses that take a step by step approach to learning excel.
2. DataPig Technologies: The guys from Data Pig Technologies made a comprehensive collection of videos that explain almost every aspect of Excel. From basic Excel concepts to VBA programming. And most of the videos are free!
3. Online Charts Tutorial: Jon Peltier is an Excel-charting superstar. You can use his online tutorial to get you started on Excel charting and also as a reference.
4. Basic Formulas Guide: This excellent tutorial will help you master Excel formulas in no time.
5. Common uses for Formulas: This collection of samples will help you understand what can be achieved by using excel formulas.
6. An introduction to Pivot Tables: The Pivot Table is an amazing tool, but people often shy away from it because Pivot Tables seem complicated. The first page of this PDF contains a clear description of Pivot Tables and how they can be used.
7. Creating a Pivot table: A 7-minute video shows you how to create and work with Pivot Tables.
8. Pivot Tables in Excel 2007: Excel 2007 Pivot Tables are much easier to use. If you use excel 2007, check out this slightly promotional yet excellent introduction to Pivot Tables.
9. Practicing Pivot Tables: This step by step tutorial from Microsoft will help you sharpen your Pivot Table skills.
10. Microsoft Excel help / 2007: When all else fails, Microsoft Excel Help is a good source to try.
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