Technology

= = =Technology= Looking for some useful software for your home computer? Do you want to get some of the programs used in class? Look over the links below and see if any fit your needs. Many of these programs are open-source projects created by a community of developers and are subject to frequent changes. None of them will cost you anything, although most have upgraded options that offer more features, storage, ect., and they are all safe and reliable programs.

Office Suites:
www.openoffice.org Similar to MS Office 2003, this office suite includes a word processor, presentation maker, spreadsheet creator and more. Its simple to use and is a great option if you don't have an existing version of Office on your computer.

www.docs.google.com If you have an existing Google account, you already have access to Google's documents software. All of your files can be stored online for access anywhere. The presentation maker, word processor, and spreadsheet programs are all simple but effective. You need to have a Google account to use these. If you don't, you will have to sign up for one.

Email:
www.gmail.com Google's email program is an effective way to get a good personal email account if you don't already have one. Signing up for a gmail account will also give you access to other Google software.

Photo Editing:
@http://picasa.google.com/ Picasa is a great, simple photo suite that includes a simple photo editor and online storage for your photos. This is great for the average user who wants to crop and touch up existing photos, organize them in albums, and keep track of where they were taken.

@http://www.getpaint.net This advanced photo editing software is similar in features to Adobe Photoshop. It allows users to work with a number of advanced features including layers when editing photos. NOTE: This is a complex program and is far more complicated than some of the other editing options out there.

Video Editing/Creating:
www.onetruemedia.com This is the software used in class to create video clips combining music, images and effects. These videos are easy to share and view across the web. You must first create an account to use this.

@http://handbrake.fr/ Handbrake allows users to convert videos from one format to another as well as change the size and/or resolution of an existing video. This is useful when trying to ensure a video meets the specific standards of another program/website.

Anti-Virus:
@http://free.avg.com/ Everyone should have virus protection on their PC. AVG 9 offers a simple, free, virus program for installation on your PC. While it is not as advanced as many of its more expensive counterparts, it does provide basic protection and frequent updates to keep your computer safe.

My Studyo
@http://www.mystudiyo.com/ This allows you to create simple online quizzes that can be embedded in websites.