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Microsoft Word 2010, Worth the Upgrade?

Microsoft Word first came out in 2003. It was upgraded in 2007 and 2010. This word processing program has added features and has simplified features that make it well worth the upgrade for some users.

The first thing users will notice is the office button is missing. Users found this inconvenient and confusing so Microsoft brought back the file menu. This new file menu is unique in the fact that it encompasses the entire screen. Its bigger size gives the user more control over the documents.

 

Word 2007 icon. 

Image via Wikipedia

Microsoft also realized that security is a concern for users in today’s computer environment. They have added a feature that actually allows the user to encrypt their document if they choose to. There is a button to prepare the document for sharing and users can also check a document for compatibility.

 

Users that use Word for technical documentation will appreciate the enhanced ability to capture screenshots. There are also increased photo editing and artistic effects for users to try.

The ribbon with the 2010 version can be customized. This can save users a great amount of time. This allows users to add tabs that are used the most frequently and delete tabs that are used sparingly. Customizing increases the ability to create documents quickly for the frequent user.

It is up to the individual user whether they want to upgrade their Word software. If you haven’t upgraded since 2003 it is most definitely worth the upgrade. If you upgraded in 2007 check out the new features and see if they are useful enough to you to make the change.

 

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Many Different Online Games are Available

There are plenty of online games available today, and which ones you play and enjoy will vary depending on your age, mood and other factors. You may play certain games during specific times, or play one game all the time, each time you have a chance. Because the Internet offers so many activities, you can play a lot of things for free and just stop playing them if you don’t enjoy them. You won’t have lost anything, because you didn’t have to pay for the games. You can get Online Casino Games, arcade games, board games, game shows, puzzles, brain teasers and a lot more. Some are very simple to create and to play. Others are much more complex, showing that a lot of time went into making them. They require more skill to play, but they are well worth learning how to play because they’re so much fun.

If you’re interested in these kinds of different online games, look around and see what’s offered to you. You may find that there are all kinds of things that you want to play. Online casino games are one of the most popular options. People can play just for fun, or they can actually win money with specific kinds of games on certain sites. If you’re not sure whether you’re good enough at a particular game to win money, you may want to play just for fun for a little while, and see how you do. Then, if you’re good at your casino game, it may be time to play for actual cash.

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Benefits and Dangers of Computers and the Internet:

The technology advances in recent years have made it possible to work from home more, save memories and allowed us to maintain constant communication with friends and family.  There are many downsides to the advancement but the benefits outweigh the risk in the grand scheme of things.

The Benefits:

Because of the technological advancements in the last twenty years we can do so many things that we would otherwise not be able to do.  We can retain records of our family history.  Pictures can be saved in digital form and save space.  We can use webcams to see our family that may reside too far away to visit.  Any and all information needed for anything is but a mouse click away.  If you need to know about signs of an addict, you can find the information online as fast as brushing your teeth.  You can educate your children at home.  This is particularly handy if you do not live near a decent school district.  Educating your children has never been easier.

The Down Side:

There are several down sides to this technology, but with a little work, these reasons do not have to be downsides.  One major complaint is the fact that parents are worried that children will forget why books are so important.  While it is true that we are coming to an age where paper books are not the preferred method of reading, we can still utilize this method for bedtime stories to help retain this tradition which unfortunately for some will be an “old fashioned” tradition.  It is important that we keep reading the old fashioned books and continue to print old fashioned books.  While the advancement in technology is wonderful for man-kind, it can also be our demise.  If we rely so heavily on technology, we lose our ability to function without it.  This would not be beneficial if something was to happen to our electricity source.  Without electricity, all of this technology will not be worth the weight of, well anything.

We can maintain the use of technology and utilize its benefits, but we must still be able to function without it.  We may have no other option than to survive without it one day, so if that day comes we need to know how to live without technology.  We need to know how to live outside the box and inside the box.

 

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Teens and the Internet

With all of the benefits that come with computers and the internet, you can find a down side.  The internet has opened a window for dangers that were not a concern just fifteen years ago.  Now we have to be ever watchful of our teens and their computer usage.  They are at a sensitive age.  They are easily manipulated and really bad things can happen.  Things like being bullied online are the least of the internet worries for teens.  The worst case is child predators and possible murder.

Yes, these are things to worry about, these things happen all too often.  Without proper oversight and education, we cannot be sure what our teens are up too.  They need to know that there are dangers out there that can hurt them and it is you job to educate them before allowing them to surf the internet.

Along with educating them on the dangers of the internet, you also have to be a little underhanded.  You can purchase software that will go unnoticed but will keep you informed of your teenager’s comings and goings online.  While this may be considered a violation of privacy, it is more important to protect your child than to care about privacy morals.

It is still important that you allow them some privacy, do not question them about everything you download from the software.  Give them room to be teenagers, but beware of suspicious activities. Keep yourself up to date on the latest sources that child predators and on likewise utilize to manipulate children online.

While we cannot be with our children every waking moment of their lives, it is still our responsibility to keep them safe. This means stepping on some moral independent values at times, but it is worth the risk of upsetting your teen if it ends up keeping them safe.  You need to find software that is completely hidden, you do not want them to know that they are being watch online, they will find other ways to rebel.

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Communications Solidify Military Families

Communications technology has come a long way in the last two decades.  This is particularly true for military families with a mother or father who might be deployed overseas.  Just twenty years ago, the only communications that were available to military families was that of snail mail and maybe a phone call once in a great while.  Even with regular mail, the correspondences between the deployed service member and that of the family were limited.

Thank you to the development of computers and the internet, military families are now able to communicate more often.  This advancement in technology is directly responsible for a certain percentage of families that stay together now.  With limited communications between a service member and their families, the divorce rate was much higher than it is now for military families.

Not only is email utilized in communications for service members and their families but also software and hardware that make it possible to do a live chat with video.  This is an excellent way to keep young children and their parents familiar with one another.  A lot of military service members would come home to children who did not even know who they were; this was not good for the mental state of the service member or that of the child.  These advances have strengthened the bonds between families that need it so desperately while separated.

The love and bond that is between the spouse and the service member is maintained with the use of email and webcams.  This advancement has made it possible to still feel like a family when they are separated by thousands of miles.  Families that did not have this advantage just twenty years ago, did not fare nearly as well as military families do now.

These communication developments have played a key role in so many things, from divorce rates to suicide rates.  It is important for a military family to communicate.  The service member and the family of the service member are able to remain close even when they are so far apart.

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The Iphone Saga

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

There is a new saga out there and it’s got more followers than even that crazy twilight-saga. These are the die-hard iPhone fans, and Apple doesn’t disappoint them.

Just when you think you have the latest gadget that comes out on hand, Apple surprises its clients by coming out with an even smaller (rather than bigger) and better device. The rapidity with which all the iPhones came out left fans reeling with the disappointment of having only recently bought the previous one. AT&T raked in the profits with one prototype after another pouring in, setting up elaborate schemes to “upgrade” their phones to the new models, while selling their old refurbished ones for a hefty price as well.

So, this summer Apple came out with it’s iPhone 4, which has taken the nation by storm – by adding in features such as FaceTime, Apple took phone calls to a whole new level with the ability to talk to people while looking at them. Of course, this could only work if the person you were on call with had the iPhone 4 as well, which exponentially increased their sales.

Moreover, now that they’ve signed a contract with Verizon to provide Verizon users to purchase the iPhone as well, they’re well on their way to dominating the phone market with just blackberry and android being able to keep up.

But before you rush out to buy your new iPhone 4, rumors of an iPhone 5 are circling about. This phone is said to be faster and better in a lot of ways – from crazy new apps to a better processing system.

But that’s just the thing with Apple, you can never have the latest model for too long.

 

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