SkyDrive becoming OneDrive

Microsoft hasn’t been any more specific than “soon,” but at some point in the near future, SkyDrive will become OneDrive.   (The name change was necessitated by a trademark infringement suit in the UK with British Sky Broadcasting Group.)  Whatever you call it, you might be wondering exactly what it is.  People who have already made the leap to Windows 8 likely know, but even some Windows 8 users are confused by what’s going on with this service. Here are a very few brief highlights.  (For the sake of ease, I’ll refer to the service as OneDrive, even though it isn’t the official name quite yet.)

This service is simply online storage for your Microsoft Office files, whether they be Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or PowerPoint presentations.  You can also create new files in OneDrive, as well as store photos.  It’s a bit like Google Drive or Dropbox, but it can be incredibly integrated with your computer, especially if you’re on Windows 8.  For instance, on a Windows 8 computer, the default location to save a file is not that computer, but the OneDrive account associated with that computer.   I’ve got to say that on more than one occasion, I’ve nearly saved something to the wrong place, but I’m getting used to it.  And even if I do save something to the “wrong” place, I can log into my OneDrive account from any computer to access my file. 

It’s been quite handy when accessing my files from my computer at work.  I can download a file from OneDrive, edit in Word on my work computer, then save it right back to my OneDrive quite intuitively.  And it doesn’t matter if the file was created it Word 2013, saved to OneDrive, then edited in Word 2007, and resaved to OneDrive.

That’s just one of the things I really love about OneDrive, especially when compared to other services, like Google Drive.  The fact that the default file format is the Microsoft Office format is nice, since .doc files are far and away the most common, and almost anyone can open them.  Creating, saving, and editing either in the web app or Microsoft Office is pretty seamless,  but I have to qualify this because no one has yet made the web version of document software as robust as full Office software installed on your computer.  So sometimes there are formatting ticks, especially if you have images in a Word document.  But still, I’ve run across far fewer problems than with Google Drive. 

Probably my favorite feature is how easy it is to share single files or entire folders with someone else.  Just use the Share button to email someone either reading or reading and editing privileges and the file(s) is shared.  And according to news reports today, when OneDrive officially rolls out, there will be a co-owner feature to share and sync multiple accounts together.  The news also includes that in addition to the 7GB of free storage that comes with every account, OneDrive will be making up to 5GB more available for free to users to refer others to the service.

I’m certainly looking forward to what comes next with OneDrive.  It’s freely available with a Hotmail or Outlook email.  Find out more this summer, when I will be teaching a class at the North Branch Library about using OneDrive. The date is Wednesday, August 27 at 6:00 pm, in other words, just in time for the start of a new school year.  Registration for this class will open at the end of April. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with questions at North Branch (330)456-4356, or Technology Training at (330)458-3150.

Shelia

 

 

 

Mango Updates

 

Many of you may have already discovered the Library’s database for learning a foreign language—Mango—but there have been several improvements in the past few months.  Six languages now come with Mango’s Premiere courses. 

From the course homepage, select either Conversation or Premiere where available.

What are these courses?  Feature films, broken down scene by scene, each line of dialogue pulled out and studied.  So far, the Premiere service is available for: Chinese (Mandarin), French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish (Latin America), and Inglés Para Hablantes (English for Spanish, Latin America speakers).


Watch a scene with subtitles in English and the foreign language…

 

…then study each line of dialogue individually.

But what if you’ve never tried Mango and don’t know where to start?  Now you can take a placement test to see where you should begin.  Each of the over 60 languages offered by Mango have between roughly 65 and 100 lessons, but if you’ve already studied a language before, you might not want to start from scratch.  Now when you select a language and the course page launches, you can click on Take a placement test in the top right of the window.



In addition to these new features, the website has received a facelift.  The lessons still look the same, but the sign in page, the Dashboard where your course history is stored, the course list, and other stops, including Support, are a little more colorful. 

Also, this Thursday, January 30 at 6:00 pm, I’ll be offering a demonstration of how Mango works at the North Branch library.  There are still some seats left, so register at http://www.starklibrary.org/program-search by searching for Mango or call North Branch (330)456-4356 to attend.  Be sure to have your library card handy when registering. 

 

Shelia

Convert PDFs to Word

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the process of converting scanned printed/handwritten image files into machine readable text format. It works by analyzing a document and comparing it with fonts stored in its database and/or by noting features typical to characters. OCR enables you to take a book or magazine article feed it directly into a computer file then edit the file using a word processor.

What that means:

OCR software can convert a PDF into a Word document. There are free websites that offer this service. One that I recently discovered is called Online OCR. They claim to recognize thirty-two languages, can recognize PDF, TIFF, JPG, and PNG (among others) and translate them into a number of formats – PDF, Word, Excel, html, RTF and Plain Text. Best of all it’s free and no account is required.

Scenario:

Let’s say you have a resume that needs updated. The original Word document is missing but you do have a hard copy. It is possible to digitize that document and edit it in Word.

The process:

1)      Convert the hard copy to PDF by scanning it and then email it to yourself (a free service available at all SCDL locations.)

2)      Log-in to your email and save the PDF to your computer.

3)       Go to onlineocr.net and click the Browse… button.

4)      Locate the PDF that was saved to your computer in step 2. Click Open. Then click Upload.

5)      Select your Recognition language and Output format. Output format means what type of file you would like to create (Word, Excel, or Plain Text.) To convert your PDF to a Word document select MS Word (doc).

6)      Enter the numbers displayed in the CAPTCHA box (a test some websites use to determine whether or not a user us human.)

7)      Click Recognize.

8)      Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Download Output File.

The resume will now open in Microsoft Word. From here you can make changes and save it for future reference.

Disclaimer:

While great and incredibly accurate remember that Online OCR is a free service. Much of the original document’s formatting is preserved during the conversion but it is not always exact. After your conversion it is highly recommended you proofread your document. There could be misspelled words and perhaps some formatting differences compared with the original (text is usually bold, for example.) Compared to when the document was a PDF and could not be edited the formatting errors are pretty minor.

As I said earlier the site is free and does not require registration. However, there is an option to create an account which has some benefits. It is free to create an account (all that is required is an email address) and you get twenty-five free credits (worth twenty-five scans.) There are options to purchase or earn more credits which are pretty reasonable. The biggest advantage to creating an account is multipage scanning. If your original document is more than one page you’ll need to scan each page individually and convert them individually if you do not create an account. But if you create a free account you can scan and convert all three pages at once (you could even tell it specific pages to convert – like only pages one and three, for example.) Your converted documents are also saved in your account too. So if you lose the Word version you can retrieve it from your Online OCR account.

So next time you have a hard copy of a document (or just a PDF) and you want to make changes remember that there are options. Free options! One of them is called Online OCR and only takes a few minutes to convert your PDF into Word document.

Have you heard about MOOCs?

What is a MOOC?
MOOC-The first time I heard this acronym, well, it sounded a little like a new flavor of coffee.   But alas, it is not a glitzy word for a beverage.  Instead, MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses.  Yep, its a learning option found on the Internet. Most MOOCs are free, non-credit courses on a variety of subjects that include Computer Science, Physics, Health Care, Political Philosophy and much, much more.  Course instructions vary from 3-10 weeks with approximately 2-3 hours of dedicated time each week.  Some of the courses are lectured based with short quizzes while other can be interactive online classes for a greater hands on experience.  If you have a crazy schedule like mine, you will appreciate the flexibility of taking a class at your own pace in the comfort of your own home or with a group of people who share the same interests.

Who teaches MOOC courses?
MOOCs have been around for quite awhile.  I took my first online class back about 10 years ago from the University of Toronto.  Today, many colleges and universities have joined together to provide quality education using an online portal to reach its students.  Think about it.  Wouldn't it be great to take a free class from a professor at Berkeley or Boston University?  Or perhaps take the course Entrepreneurship 101: Who is your customer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?  In early 2014 Harvard University is providing courses on the United States Health Policy, Introduction to Computer Science, and Early Christianity: The Letters of Paul.    Looking for a project type class?  You can find real-world, project oriented courses taught by leaders like Google, AT&T, and Intuit.

Who can take a MOOC course?
Anyone can take a course.  For the lifetime learner or a student, it can be a way to expand their knowledge of a particular subject of their choice. Perhaps you would like to refresh your knowledge on a subject you always enjoyed.  On January 15, 2014 I will begin the course Poetry in America: Whitman taught by Elisa New via Harvard. 

What do you need in order to take a MOOC course?
You need a computer with an Internet connection, active email address, and a comfy seat.  You will need to create a user account and agree to terms of services as well as terms of honor.  And as mentioned above, you can take a class at home, in an Internet cafe, or at your local library.  Many groups are taking advantage of library meeting rooms equipment with computers and projectors for viewing each class on a large screen.  Check your local library to see if a room such as this exists and then gather a group of fellow students for a group type gathering. 

Where can you find a MOOC? 
To find a MOOC, generate a keyword search in any browser using the acronym Mooc.  Some courses are for pay or fee based.  However, there are many free sites available to select a course right for you.  The May 10, 2013 issue of Library Journal featured three of the leading providers including: Coursera, EdX, and Udacity.  The course I'm taking can be found on EDX. 
If you have any questions about a MOOC site or assistance with getting started, please give us a call @ 330.458.3150 or email trainer@starklibrary.org
Happy Learning!
Dee