Mormon Online » positive uses of technology

Make Your Voice Read

Craig — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:16:55 +0000

Ever disgusted with the magazines showing in the store, the billboards along the road, or the advertisements in the paper? Have you always meant to voice your opinion but you were just too nervous to call people?

Hail the wonders of email.

With email you can easily send your opinion without having to touch the phone. Most businesses will have a web page with contact info available. Just do a search for the business you’re looking for and shoot them an email telling them what you think. You’ll feel good that you did your part. Businesses want to please their customers so they’ll try to accommodate as many of them as possible.

Maybe your vote will make a difference.

Buying a New Computer

Craig — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:21:10 +0000

Is your computer moaning every time you turn it on? Does it grind through tasks at a painstakingly slow pace? Is it older than half of your food storage? Maybe it’s time you put the poor thing out to pasture and invest in a brand new, fast and sleek piece of computing wonder.

But, how do I know what to buy?

Here are a few tips that I’ve found helpful. First, give yourself a budget – how much do you want to spend? Then look at online sites such as HP, Dell, and various search engines. Look at what computers are offered. Look for those priced about $100 below what you want to spend because of shipping, taxes, and a couple little upgrades.

Once you’ve picked out a couple potential candidates that fit your budget, do a search for reviews on the models. There will normally be lots of input from other people of the pros and cons of buying a particular model. Many vendor sites will include reviews on the same site where they sell the item.

Once you’ve decided on the lucky steed, look at what various vendors charge. You can also see if Nextag shows a price history on the item.

Finally, you can shell out the cash and begin enjoying the wind flashing past you with your new speed and power. As with any new item, think of how you can use it to accomplish many good things.

Skype a Doodle Dandy

Craig — Sun, 08 May 2011 11:41:12 +0000

Are you someone that has loved ones in far places? Are you someone who doesn’t have a ton of money to talk to loved ones in far places? Then I have the perfect solution for you. How about talking to those loved ones, as long as you want, absolutely free? Sound good?

Assuming you already have an internet connection, Skype allows you and your loved ones to carry on a conversation for free over the internet. All you have to do is head over to the Skype web page, make sure you have the required equipment, and sign up for an account. Your loved ones will have to do that as well. Once your both setup, exchange your contact information and wait for that magic ringing sound.

Don’t let cost keep you from talking with family and loved ones that live far away. Answer the call today and re-kindle those precious relationships.

Tax Time

Craig — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:59:16 +0000

It’s that time of year again to pull out all the receipts and records, fill out the forms, grit your teeth, cringe, wipe the sweat from your forehead, and send in your taxes. Why not file electronically this year? It will make the process easier and, if you are due a return, will quicken the process of getting that money into your account.

How do I do it? The IRS has a great page that will help you get started. You can then pick from a selection of free options for filling out and filing your taxes. Many of these solutions are entirely online and do not require you to download or install anything.

With the April 18th deadline fast approaching, you’ll appreciate the help that the online filing will give you. File your taxes today and then on the 18th you can just relax with a delicious snack and a good movie while others stand in the long lines at the post office.

Mormon Tech Sites

Craig — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:34:52 +0000

If you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and interested in technology and gadgets, you’ll love to check out the following web sites. You may even be able to help out with some projects the church is working on.

http://tech.lds.org/

“Today the information highway, with all of its means of communication, affords an opportunity for us to carry the mission with a thousandfold greater speed and ease than Peter, James, and John and the other intrepid disciples.”–President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1999, 18-19

Make sure you check out the forums and wiki.

Want to help work on some of these projects check out this site:

https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Getting_Involved_with_Projects

Want to help with other simple acts of service, check out:

http://simpleacts.lds.org/

There are great opportunities to serve and help others while doing the stuff that you think is fun. Take some time to look at what you can do.

General Conference

Craig — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:14:04 +0000

I can remember years ago living back East and finding it difficult to watch general conference since it wasn’t on the radio or television. We had to go to the chapel to watch it. But today, with the internet capabilities that we enjoy, conference is only a few clicks or taps away.

Want to watch or listen to it live over the internet? Go to http://new.lds.org/general-conference/watch?lang=eng within half an hour of when it starts.

Want to watch a previous session? Check out the archives at http://new.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2010/10?lang=eng.

Want to watch from your mobile device? Check out the Mormon Channel App for your device at: http://radio.lds.org/eng/how-to-listen/mobile-applications.

Today’s technology really makes it possible for anyone with an internet connection to tune in to and enjoy the conferences of the church.

Back To School

Craig — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:44:39 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year to head back to school. What’s that, you are too old to go to school now? Well, the internet is full of things that you can learn and new ways to stretch your brain. Below is a long and varied list of different types of learning sites. Browse down and click on one or two that look interesting. You might be surprised that you still have a lot of learning capacity within you.: A quality educational site offering 5000+ FREE printable theme units, word puzzles, writing forms, book report forms,math, ideas, lessons and much more. Great for new teachers, student teachers , homeschooling and teachers who like creative ways to teach. Join the popular membership section!!
ClassHomework.com
Classroom Direct Deep Discount School Supply Store
Creating Music
EduPuppy.com – Everything for Early Childhood Education Preschool – Grade 3
FamilyFun: Kids Recipes (Cooking with Kids) – and More Family Fun: Kids’ recipes and healthy snacks for even the picky eater.? Great ideas for cooking with kids — recipes, super snacks, and desserts made simple.
HomeworkSpot.com: Homework Help, Science Fair Project Ideas, Math Help, Homework Helper: Find the best K-12 homework resources organized by subject and grade-level at HomeworkSpot.com.
I Love That Teaching Idea!
Kids.gov – Main Page
KidsClick! Web Search
Learn to Read at Starfall – teaching comprehension and phonics: A free website to teach children to read. Perfect for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Contains exciting interactive books and phonics games.
Multiplication Flashcards: Surfing the Net with Kids: Free online timed Multiplication Flashcards at Surfnetkids.com. Click anywhere to begin a 30-second game of single and double-digit multiplication.
Online Learning Center – AOL Research & Learn: Use the online learning center at AOL Research & Learn for your research projects and use resources you can’t find anywhere else.
Puzzles in Education – Puzzle of the Week: Puzzle Resource Center for Teachers
SciVee: Pioneering New Modes of Scientific Dissemination | Pioneering New Modes of Scientific Dissemination: Created for scientists by scientists, SciVee provides synchronization tools and resources that connect science publications to media rich online video communication for scientific research communities.
Seussville: Home
Sites for Teachers: Sites For Teachers rates educational Websites by popularity with teachers.
Songs for Teaching: Educational Children’s Music Downloads/CDs: Educational children’s songs available on CDs or MP3 for downloading. Teachers and parents will find songs to help kids learn reading, math, science, English, and more. Free downloads and songsheets.
Teaching eBooks
The Ultimate Science Fair Project Resource: Dr. Shawn’s tail-kicking science projects, complete science fair project guide, essential secrets of science fair success, awesome science project resource links and much more…
Welcome to Discovery Education School Resources! School Resources offers clipart, free teaching resources and personalized classroom materials: DiscoverySchool.com offers clipart and free teaching resources. You can also find personalized classroom materials at DiscoverySchool.com.
TED: Ideas worth spreading: TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading — through TED.com, our annual conferences, the annual TED Prize and local TEDx events.
Science news and science jobs from New Scientist – New Scientist: Science news and science articles from New Scientist.

Family Reunion Time

Craig — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:42:53 +0000

Have you ever been in charge of the good ole family reunion? With today’s technology it’s easier than ever to contact all of those family members – even those that are trying to hide.

Facebook is a great place to look for family members and contact them once you’ve found them. You can even create an account for your family so that all of your family can be friends.

Email is a basic tool but it can save you hours trying to find the latest phone numbers for people and giving them all a call. You could send letters but then there’s the cost of the stamps and it takes days to get there. You can also use email to send out occasional reminders so the family doesn’t forget.

Lastly, you can use your computer and word processor to copy and paste all of those names, birthdates, families, and details into your comprehensive list of family members. Maybe you can even use your family history software to create a pedigree of your family.

With the technology available today helping out with a family reunion can be easier than ever – though getting everyone to attend may still be a challenge.

Get Help with Your Do-It-Yourself Projects

Craig — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:48:42 +0000

Have you ever had a do-it-yourself project or a repair to do but you weren’t quite sure how to do it? Don’t know how hard it would be or if you need special tools? The internet can be a great resource to help you.

General searches on your project can reveal many helpful links with tips and recommendations for getting it done right. There are usually some YouTube videos available that show someone actually doing the job so you can watch how it’s done.

There are some sites which specialize in helping you as well.

Instructables is a web-based documentation platform where passionate people share what they do and how they do it, and learn from and collaborate with others.

wikiHow is a collaboration building the world’s largest, high-quality how-to manual. Eventually, it will contain accurate instructions on almost every imaginable topic as a multilingual resource.

FindHow’s Mission is to empower people to achieve success at every task, in whatever role and stage of life they are in, by simplifying and speeding access to trusted, reliable How-To content on the Internet.

eHow.com is an online community dedicated to providing visitors, like you, the ability to research, share, and discuss solutions and tips for completing day-to-day tasks and projects.

Good luck with your projects! Now if something goes wrong, you can blame it on someone else.

Keep Learning

Craig — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:14:50 +0000

We are blessed with tremendous opportunities for learning. There is access to just about any information you want to learn about. Even though many of us are very busy, there are still opportunities to learn. One way to fit in a little learning is to listen to podcasts while driving or during your spare moments.

Some of the podcast sites that I’ve found useful are:

University and College podcasts: http://www.openculture.com/2006/10/university_podc.html.

The Educational Podcast Network: http://epnweb.org/.

Podcast.com Channels http://education.podcast.com/

There are even more sites if you just do an internet search.

Remember, in all your learning, to learn more about the truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the purpose of life, and the teachings of the living prophets. You can find many of these podcasts at http://podcast.lds.org.

Give yourself a treat and learn something new, or learn more about something in which you’re interested. There’s never been a better time.