green hectares rural tech workshop - downloading resources

Downloading Resources

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Digital DownloadsThere is almost an infinite amount of information and resources floating out there on the web.

In the next two hours we are going to highlight a few key resources that relate to rural Albertans, computers and software in general.

Download it Now!!!If there is something important that is available for download, don’t just bookmark it, download it.

The Internet is constantly changing and the next time you try to visit that link it have moved or it might just be gone forever.

Software DownloadsNo need to go to the store to buy software! Most software is available for download online.

Most major software developers (Apple®, Adobe® and Microsoft®) have all their current products available for download on their website.

Types of SoftwareFreeware –is usually available fully functional at no cost to the user. Sometimes a fee is optional.

Shareware –is available to the user at no cost for a trial period and may have limited functionality. To get full access to the software the user usually needs to pay a fee to the developer.

Commercial/Payware – is usually full-scale commercial grade proprietary software.

Downloading SoftwareThere are many sites that compile a majority of available software for download all in one location.

Make sure to check the rankings, user feedback, and the type of software to see if it is Freeware, Shareware or Commercial grade.

Software Download Sites

www.download.com – CNET is a CBS Interactive Company and is the largest software download site.

www.softpedia.com – a site for downloading software for Windows®, Mac, Linux®, mobile devices and more.

Software TrainingOnce all the programs are downloaded and installed, the user needs to learn how they work. There is a huge variety of online resources, many sharing information and training for free for a variety of software from many manufacturers.

Free Video Tutorialswww.lynda.com is a website offering many different resources for computer and software training. Many video tutorials are available free on the website and some require a paid subscription.

They also publish many well know books on different software programs.

Using iTunes for Learning

iTunes is so much more than just importing, downloading and managing music for iPods. iTunes has a vast library of audio and video podcasts from all over the world including episodes from right here in Alberta.

Video Tutorials in iTunes

iTunes has a massive library of Video Tutorials available in the form of Podcasts from thousands of sources.

Many universities also publish and distribute video Podcasts through iTunes for free to students and the general public.

Subscribing to Podcasts

This is a great way to keep up-to-date and not miss an episode.

Many content providers publish daily or weekly podcasts for download in the iTunes Store. You can even “subscribe” to podcast channels which enables iTunes to automatically download podcasts as they’re released!

Podcast ProgrammingMany shows have popped up solely in the form of podcasts and have created a huge following.

All of this is done without using traditional radio or television to access viewers.

Transfer and Go! Plugging in a iPod, iPhone, Smart Phone or MP3 player to iTunes gives a person the freedom to transfer over all their newly acquired resources and take it all with them wherever they go.

They also can be burned to a CD or DVD.

Other Tutorial Resources

www.adobe.tv – offers video tutorials for anything Adobe.

www.layersmagazine.com – offers video tutorials and free downloads for many Adobe products.

www.youtube.com – offers many of the same tutorials and more ...

Downloading TemplatesWhen building documents like resumes, invoices, brochures and newsletters, there are often free downloadable templates available.

Once the templates are downloaded, they are ready to use!

Fonts for Templateshttp://www.fontshop.com/ - the original and largest online retailer of typefaces.

http://www.dafont.com - a website offering many free fonts.

http://typophile.com/ - a great site for design and typographic resources.

Rural ResourcesThere are also many great regional sites that have a ton of available resources for Rural Albertans.

Alberta Canola Producers Commissionwww.canola.ab.ca/

Canadian Farm Business Management Councilwww.farmcentre.com/Resources/

Government of Alberta – Ropin’ the Webwww.agric.gov.ab.ca/

e-NewslettersThis is a nice and flexible way to be updated on current information for a specific subject. Most major content providers give viewers the ability to sign up or subscribe to one or more newsletters delivered via email or regular mail.

RSS FeedsReally Simple Syndication has created a standardized ‘XML’ format for the transfer of information such as Blogs, news, audio and video.

People can subscribe to RSS feeds just like they subscribe to an online newsletters or Podcasts.

Safe ComputingBe aware of your surroundings online, and watch where you click!

Make sure to have good antivirus software, and check for updates at least once a week.