The LibreOffice Start Center

LibreOffice is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. Or, as they say on their website:

LibreOffice is a comprehensive, professional-quality productivity suite that you can download and install for free. There is a large base of satisfied LibreOffice users worldwide, and it is available in more than 30 languages and for all major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva, Suse, …).

Why LibreOffice?

Before I go into more detail about LibreOffice, you may be wondering: what’s the point? Why should I use LibreOffice? Here are a few reasons to add LibreOffice to your arsenal:

• LibreOffice is 100% free, always. No more licensing issues or expensive upgrades.
• Your students may already be using it. Many students/families cannot afford to purchase Microsoft Office, and will instead use whatever came with their computer – often Microsoft Works. LibreOffice can open MS Works files, which is nice, but you could also let your students know about LibreOffice, which is far more powerful than Works.
• LibreOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office (and other applications), so you can open existing documents and even share documents with MS Office users. And since it’s closer in feel to the MS Office many people are used to, there’s less re-training involved.
• LibreOffice runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, so all users can be using the same software, regardless of what computer they’re using.
• Using LibreOffice will make you a better computer user. While it’s very similar to MS Office, so it’s familiar, it’s just different enough that you’ll train your brain. Learn concepts (cut, paste, etc.) not specific applications.

LibreOffice is OpenOffice…but not

Before we go any further, I should explain the relationship between LibreOffice (which you’ve likely never heard of) and OpenOffice (which you may have heard of). OpenOffice was an open-source application suite originally released as the open-source version of Sun Microsystem’s StarOffice. Sun was later purchased by Oracle, and in April 2011 Oracle announced they would no longer be supporting development of OpenOffice. Prior to the announcement, many of the former major contributors left the project to work on LibreOffice, a direct fork of OpenOffice not controlled by Oracle. Since then, LibreOffice has seen far more activity and updates than OpenOffice.

So, in a nutshell: LibreOffice is the new OpenOffice. Got it? Good. Let’s move on.

Compatibility

The first thing people ask when I start talking about an alternative to Microsoft Office is: “Is it compatible?” The answer is: yes.

LibreOffice uses an industry standard document format called OpenDocument Format (ODF). By default, word processing files have a .odt (OpenDocument Text) file extension, spreadsheet files have a .ods (OpenDocument Spreadsheet) file extention, and presentations have a .odp (OpenDocument Presentation) file extension.

As of Microsoft Office 2007 (Service Pack 2), MS Office has also supported ODF and can read and write documents created in this format. In fact, you can now set MS Office to use this file format by default, instead of Microsoft’s proprietary (but de-facto standard) formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, etc.). Conversely, LibreOffice has the ability to read and write documents using various Microsoft formats, including the new .docx/.xlsx/.pptx and older .doc/.xls/.ppt. You can save documents in MS formats one at a time, or set those formats as the default file format.

In addition, LibreOffice can handle some file types that Microsoft Office often has trouble opening, namely Microsoft Works (.wps) and WordPerfect (.wpd).

I’ve been using LibreOffice (or OpenOffice, previously) for over three years, and have had no problems with compatibility. Most people I send files to have no idea that I’m not using Microsoft Office. Every now and then I experience minor formatting issues when opening an MS Office doc, particularly an older one, and the same can sometimes be true when opening an ODF document in MS Office. In fact, this is the exact same issue you may encounter when going from one version of MS Office to another, so really this isn’t any different at all. This isn’t really an issue if you’re not collaborating on a document – simply save the document as a PDF before sending it to someone. LibreOffice has the ability to save as PDF built right in. Also, if you’re collaborating, you may want to look at Google Docs.

Features

LibreOffice is a productivity suite comprised of the following applications:

• Writer is the word processor. The layout is very similar to the pre-ribbon versions of Microsoft Word. It has many features, including while-you-type auto-completion, auto-formatting, automatic spell-checking, and more.
• Calc is the spreadsheet program. Calc includes a full suite of charting and analysis tools, a fully-integrated help system for entering formulas, can connect to external databases, and more.
• Impress is the presentation program, similar to PowerPoint or Apple Keynote. Impress includes some built-in templates, but you can also download and install additional templates, or create your own.
• Draw helps you build diagrams and sketches from scratch, including dynamic 3D illustrations and special effects.
• Base is a database front-end for the LibreOffice suite. You can use imported and linked tables and queries from MySQL, PostgreSQL or Microsoft Access and many other data sources, or design your own data source with Base.
• Math is an equation editor that lets you lay-out and display mathematical, chemical, electrical or scientific equations quickly in standard written notation.

Extensions

LibreOffice supports the installation of extensions, which you can find at the LibrePlanet web. Additionally, several popular extensions have now been included as standard features:

• PDF Import: Import and modify PDF documents, then re-save as PDF.
• Presentation Minimizer: Reduces the file-size of presentations.
• Presenter Console: Allows you (the presenter) to see a different view on your laptop than what the audience sees on the projector. You can see the upcoming slide, your slide notes, and a presentation timer.
• ReportBuilder: Build good-looking database reports.
• Non-Linear Solver: Allows Calc to do non-linear programming.
• Wiki Publisher: Create Wiki articles on MediaWiki servers without having to know MediaWiki markup language.

Who else is using LibreOffice or OpenOffice?

Here’s a sample of sites using LibreOffice or OpenOffice. (Note: since the switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice is still so new, this list makes reference to existing OpenOffice installations.)

• Morris Brandon Elementary in Atlanta Georgia has 250 desktops running OpenOffice.
• DeWitt Public Schools in Michigan saved over $48,000 in licensing fees by switching the entire district to OpenOffice.
• All of Portland Oregon’s middle schools and most of its elementary schools have Linux workstations and are using OpenOffice.
• Glenwood School for Boys and Girls uses OpenOffice exclusively for all students, including 200 desktops on campus, and have distributed installation CDs to students to install on home computers.
• Windsor Unified School District in California: 5,200 students and 250 teachers all using Linux computers with OpenOffice.
• Every middle school student in the state of Maine uses OpenOffice.
• San Diego Unified (8th largest in the US) has 100,000 student laptops running Linux and OpenOffice.
• Denmark – all government agencies.
• All Visions Charter School EDGE students are using OpenOffice (soon to be LibreOffice).

1. I don’t have any confidential information stored in my Dropbox account, unless it’s encrypted. In fact, if someone where to have accessed my Dropbox account yesterday, they likely would have been bored to tears at the files they found. Bottom line: don’t store any confidential information in Dropbox (unless it’s encrypted). More on encryption in a bit.
2. The only confidential information I do store in Dropbox is my 1Password data file, which is encrypted automatically by 1Password. So, if someone would have gained access to this file, it would be a very, very long time (if ever) until they were able to crack the encryption.
3. I checked the events log on the Dropbox website, and found that nobody had accessed or downloaded any of my files. There were no events in the log between 1:54pm PST and 5:46pm PST, the duration of the security breach.
4. Did I mention that I don’t have any confidential information stored in Dropbox?

Encrypting Files

If you insist on storing confidential or sensitive files in Dropbox, make sure the files are encrypted. Some files, like the 1Password data file I mentioned earlier, are encrypted automatically by the application that created them. Most files are not encrypted by default, however. If you really, really, really must store sensitive information, look into using something like TrueCrypt (Windows/Mac/Linux) – here’s an article describing using TrueCrypt with Dropbox – or use some other method such as encrypted zip files or encrypted sparse images. I’ll leave it up to you to research how to use such tools. For me, it’s far easier to simply not store confidential information in Dropbox. (Do I sound like a broken record? Good.)

The fact is, as we move more and more of our information from device to device, service to service, hiccups like the recent security SNAFU are going to happen. By thinking ahead, you can minimize any potential damage.

Google Chrome is a web browser from Google, designed for speed, simplicity, and security. Chrome is quickly becoming a popular web browser to rival Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

Why use Google Chrome?

Google likes to tout speed, simplicity, and security as the main reasons to switch to Chrome from your current web browser. Let’s see if they’re right:

Speed

Many different independent speed tests have been done, and Chrome routinely comes out at or near the top of the list. Here’s a test from March 30, 2011 that includes the newly released Firefox 4. Overall, the current version of Google Chrome tied with the current version of Opera as the fastest web browser.

Simplicity

Simplicity is largely subjective, but there are some nice things in Google Chrome that help make it simpler than other browsers. For example: you search and navigate from the same box (no more separate URL and search boxes), you can re-arrange tabs by drag and drop, the settings page is well laid out and easy to understand, and more.

Security

Chrome has built-in malware and phishing protection (as do some of the other browsers), easy auto-updating so that you’re always up-to-date with the latest security updates, and more.

Downloading Google Chrome

You can download an appropriate version of Google Chrome for whatever operating system you’re using (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) here: http://www.google.com/chrome
The page will automatically detect what operating system you’re using, so you’ll always download the appropriate version.

Tips, Tricks and Help

Here are some resources to help you get the most out of Google Chrome.

General Help and Getting Started

• When you first launch Google Chrome, there’s a tab with helpful links and videos for getting started. If you’ve closed this tab and want to get back to that page, here it is: Getting started with Google Chrome.
• For additional help, try the Google Chrome Help Center.
• Here’s a great list of keyboard and mouse shortcuts. (Choose your operating system from the tabs on the left for specific shortcuts for Mac, Windows, or Linux.)

Extensions and Themes

Google Chrome has a ton of extensions (add-ons) and themes that allow you to customize your browser. There are many different types of extensions, but the most useful (in my opinion) are those that integrate with other services you may be using, such as: Evernote, Diigo, Delicious, Amazon, etc.

You can browse or search for extensions here.

Here are some of my favorite extensions:

• RSS Subscription Extension – This extension auto-detects RSS feeds on a page and displays an RSS icon in the OmniBar at the top for easy access to subscribing.
• Diigo Bookmark, Archive, Highlight & Sticky-Note Extension – I used to use Delicious for all my bookmarking, but I’ve since switched to Diigo. This extension is a must if you’re using Diigo. (There’s also a Delicious extension, so if you prefer Delicious just search for it in the extension store.)
• Clip to Evernote Extension – There are several Evernote extensions available, but this is the official one. If you’re using Evernote, you won’t want to be without this extension. (And if you’re not using Evernote, you should definitely check it out!)
• LastPass Extension (or 1Password) – Password managers are a good way to keep yourself safe online, by creating and managing very strong passwords that would otherwise be impossible to remember. LastPass is a free password manager and form filler. (You’ll need to create an account, so visit http://lastpass.com). I use (and prefer) 1Password, which isn’t free, because I find it to be much easier to use. The extension for 1Password is enabled from withing the app itself, just open 1Password–>Preferences then click the “Install Google Chrome Extension” button at the bottom.
• AdBlock Extension – Ads are annoying. This extension will block most ads automatically. You can easily unblock ads on a particular page by clicking the stop sign icon.
• Add to Amazon Wish List Extension – This is a great extension that allows you to add anything to your Amazon Wish List, including items from other websites. It allows you to keep track of your wish list all in one place even though the items come from a variety of websites.

You can also customize Google Chrome by installing themes. Here’s the Themes Gallery.

Tips and Tricks

• Enlarge comment boxes – If you’re on a website that has a comment box (or similar box) that is too small, just grab the bottom right corner of the box and drag to enlarge it.
• Change how Chrome starts up – By default, Chrome opens the home page when it starts, and by default the home page is the “New Tab” page. You can change that it Preferences (Chrome–>Preferences, or click the wrench icon then choose Preferences). You can have Chrome automatically re-open the pages that were open the last time you used Chrome (my personal favorite), or have it open a particular set of pages. You can also specify the home page and activate the Home button on the toolbar.
  
  

  Changing the startup and home page options

• Show the list of recently visited pages for a particular tab – Google Chrome shows your overall browsing history in the History menu, but you can see recently visited pages for a particular tab by clicking and holding on the back (or forward) button.
• Re-open a recently closed tab – To quickly re-open a closed tab, press Command+Shift+T (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+T (Windows/Linux), then look towards the bottom of the New Tab window for a list of “Recently closed tabs”.
• Perform calculations in the OmniBox – You can perform simple calculations (math, conversions, etc.) just by typing them in the OmniBox (the combined address bar/search bar just under the tabs).
  
  

  Performing a calculation in the OmniBox

That should get you started. Do you have any additional tips, tricks, or favorite extensions? Let’s hear about them in the comments section.

Ant at MacYourself.com wrote an excellent article explaining exactly what the zoom button is and how it works. I highly recommend it for all Mac switchers: Why doesn’t Mac OS X’s green Zoom button maximize windows?

Export your Delicious bookmarks

If, like many people, you’ve come to rely on the power and convenience of Delicious to manage your bookmarks, don’t panic. The first thing you’re going to want to do is export your bookmarks from Delicious. Here’s how:

• Log in to Delicious, then click the Settings link in the upper right corner of the page.
• Under the Bookmarks heading, click Export/Backup Bookmarks.
• Now, you can choose to include tags and/or notes, and export all your bookmarks or only those with certain tags. It’s probably best to export all your bookmarks, so just leave everything as the default then click the Export button.
• A file will now be downloaded to wherever your web browser downloads files.

Importing your bookmarks into another service or web browser

Many people have started using Diigo as an alternative to Delicious. The good news is Diigo can import your Delicious bookmarks from the export file you just downloaded, or by entering your Delicious username and password directly. Here’s how to import your Delicious bookmarks into Diigo:

• Log in to Diigo, then click the Tools link in the upper right corner of the page.
• Click the “more tools” link in the left-hand menu, then click Import Bookmarks.
• On the Import Bookmarks page, click the Delicious icon.
• Now you can either import using the bookmark file that you exported from Delicious, or enter your Delicious username and password to import directly from Delicious.

If you’d prefer to import your Delicious bookmarks into a web browser, here’s an article explaining how. Note that you would need to do this for every browser you use on every computer you use, and you’d no longer have access to your bookmark over the Internet (from someone else’s computer) like you do with Diigo.

Ning has many features. Which features do you use most, and in what way are you using them? Specific examples will be helpful. Which features do you rarely use, and why? Please sound off in the comments or on Twitter. Once I have a better understanding how people are using Ning, I can come up with some alternatives that make sense.

A warning about hosted services

We all use hosted services: Blogger, EduBlogs, Ning, Google Apps, etc. What happens, though, when the service either shuts down or switches to a fee-based model? In the case of Ning, many users will be left stranded – losing large amounts of information, files, articles, etc. It’s a risk we take in exchange for free hosted applications like Ning.

While there are other services that replicate some (or most) of the functionality provided by Ning, it may not be the best option to simply switch to another free hosted service. If at all possible, it would be better to find an open source alternative that can be installed on your school (or district) servers. I realize this might not be possible for everyone, depending on your IT department, but if you help IT (and the administrators) understand why it’s important to host the software on your own servers you may convince them.

A short list of possible alternatives

While it will be best to get some responses about how you’re using Ning before making recommendations, I thought I’d throw out a couple now, for those who can’t wait. These may or may not meet your needs. Your mileage may vary.

• BuddyPress – BuddyPress is a free and open source social networking platform built upon the powerful WordPress platform (the same platform that powers EduBlogs). It looks to have all the features that made Ning great. They’ve also built a Ning to BuddyPress User Importer, and have a blog dedicated to help Ning users make the switch.
• elgg – elgg is a free open source social networking platform similar to Ning. You can download and install it on your own server for free, or have them host it for a small fee.
• Mahara – Mahara calls itself an open source e-portfolio system, but it has blogging and social networking systems built-in. Have a look and see if it fits your needs. Hosting does not appear to be available, so you’ll need to install it on your own server.

That’s all for now. Be sure to sound off in the comments or on Twitter with examples of how you’re using Ning, and if you’ve heard of other potential alternatives.

Update

A Google Doc has been started listing both hosted and non-hosted alternatives to Ning. You can find it here.

What is Phishing?

Mozilla defines phishing as follows:

Phishing is a form of identity theft that occurs when a malicious Web site impersonates a legitimate one in order to trick you into giving up sensitive information such as passwords, account details, social security number, or credit card numbers. Phishing attacks usually come from email messages that attempt to lure the recipient into updating their personal information on fake, but very real looking, Web sites. Phishing scams most often appear to come from companies such as banks, credit card companies, online payment services such as PayPal, or other popular sites such as eBay, Facebook, or MySpace.

Here’s an example of a phishing scam email:

Example of a fake PayPal email

Anatomy of a Phishing Email

According to NoPhishing.org, here are the typical steps involved in launching a
phishing attack via email:

• An email arrives in your inbox.
• The email pretends to be from a legitimate organization, business or government agency.
• The email will have a persuasive message designed to entice the recipient to respond.
• The email will convey a sense of urgency.
• The email will have a reassurance of security.
• The email will have a link to a website, pop‐up or web‐based form.
• Clicking on the link will lead to a bogus website where the Phishers are waiting to steal your information. You may be prompted to provide private information such as login credentials and/or account information, PIN, credit card information, etc. If you share this information, you are now officially a victim.

What to Look For in a Potentially Bogus Email

Although Phishers have become quite sophisticated, there are still some telltale
signs common in most Phishing emails:

• The email contains one or more spelling mistakes.
• The email address in the From: line isn’t a real address.
• The link to “verify” your account doesn’t point to the real website. (For example, in the PayPal email above, instead of going to www.paypal.com, it goes to an IP address. Sometimes the scammers will register a similar address, such as www.d.paypal.com, or www.paypal.com.fraud.com, etc., to make it appear legitimate.
• Many phishing emails will warn the user not to fall for phishing scams. (Ironic, isn’t it?)
• Many phishing emails will contain a few real links, such as links to the real company’s actual privacy policy, etc.
• Most phishing emails won’t use your actual name. They’ll refer to you as “valued customer” or something similar…or not include a greeting at all.
• Most phishing emails will try to instill a sense of urgency. For example, tell you that you must log in or something bad will happen…perhaps your account has been compromised, or will be deleted, etc.

Phishing Websites

If a phishing email is successful in getting you to click a link, you’ll be taken to a bogus website made to look as much like the real website as possible. It’s here where they’ll ask you to log in and/or enter information to “verify” your identity. Once you enter that information, their scam is complete. They now have (at least) your login information, and possibly much more such as your social security number, ATM PIN number, etc.

A fake/spoofed PayPal website

The example above is made to look just like the real PayPal website. If you enter your account information, the scammers will now be able to log in to your PayPal account, where they can transfer funds, get banking information, etc.

What if you suspect a bogus website?

Most modern browsers such as Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and even the latest version of Internet Explorer have built‐in Phishing Protection, but sometimes very new fake sites will slip through the cracks. If you think you may have stumbled upon a fake site, try logging in with a FAKE PASSWORD. If the site appears to “log” you in after you’ve entered a fake password, then you KNOW it’s fake.

Firefox's Phishing Protection in action

You can test this yourself by pointing your browser at the following address: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/its‐a‐trap.html

If you’re brave, you can try out the Phishing protection on some real websites. You can find a list of recently submitted phishing sites here: http://www.phishtank.com/

Additional help and information

Lifehacker.com has an excellent article with additional tips to help keep you safe, including such gems as “Ignore Web Site Popups Saying You Have a Virus”.

If you’re still unclear about Phishing, you can watch the short video here: http://www.commoncraft.com/phishing

Bottom Line

Getting help with your computer

Today I came across a blog post at the WorkAwesome website titled “How to get IT to Solve Your Problem” that said a lot of what I’ve been thinking lately. Here are some highlights:

But you need to write down all the details of what you were doing while it is still fresh. Someone is going to ask these things. While you’re at it, write down what programs you’re running. No, just don’t say word processing. Get specific. Are you using Word? What browser are you running?

Don’t just note what program (Word, Excel, Firefox, Safari, etc.), but what version of that program. Mac users can usually find the version in the application menu. For example: Firefox–>About Mozilla Firefox will tell you what version of Firefox you’re using. Windows users can usually find the version in the help menu. For example: Help–>About Mozilla Firefox.

It’s also helpful to note what operating system (and version) you’re using. For example, are you using Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7? Or, are you using Mac OS 10.5, 10.6, etc.?

Hey, is everything plugged in correctly? Are all your cables securely connected? Is it possible to restart the computer?

Try all the easy fixes. Note everything you’re doing. It can help someone help you.

If you’re having an actual problem (as opposed to just wondering how to do something) always try these fixes first, especially restarting the computer. I’m going to have you do it anyway, so you might as well give it a shot before calling/emailing me.

If you have any kind of access, try the Internet. Enter some keywords like “[stupid program]freezing multiple documents open.” See if there is anything about your problem. It’s really unlikely that you’re the first to discover this glitch.

This is how I find answers to most tech questions, so I know it works. If you don’t find what you’re looking for on the first try, you’ll want to re-word your search and try again. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, then it’s time to call in the big guns – ask the IT person.

If you need help with searching, check out the “Google search basics: Basic search help” page.

Solving math problems on the computer

I debated making this a separate post, but laziness won the battle. I saw a post today about using the Wolfram|Alpha “computational knowledge engine” to solve complex math problems. The post, on the WolframAlpha Blog is titled “Step-by-Step Math“.

Have you ever given up working on a math problem because you couldn’t figure out the next step? Wolfram|Alpha can guide you step by step through the process of solving many mathematical problems, from solving a simple quadratic equation to taking the integral of a complex function.

When trying to find the roots of 3×2+x–7=4x, Wolfram|Alpha can break down the steps for you if you click the “Show steps” button in the Result pod.

Here’s a screenshot:

Other types of problems

The steps used to solve computer problems can be applied to just about anything. Having problems getting your DVR to record only new episodes of your favorite program? Try to figure out what model number you have, then get on the Internet and see if you can find the answer. You’ll be surprised how much information you can find by doing a simple search.

At its most basic level, social bookmarking allows you to store, organize, and retrieve your bookmarks from any computer (or smartphone) that’s connected to the Internet. The social part comes in to play when you begin to share (and discover) bookmarks with the rest of the world through the use of tags. The nice folks at Common Craft have a fantastic video that explains social bookmarking in plain English:

Click here to view the embedded video.

A comparison of two social bookmarking sites: Delicious and Diigo

Now that you (hopefully) have a better idea what social bookmarking is all about, let’s look at two of the most popular social bookmarking sites: del.icio.us (or just Delicous) and diigo. Both offer similar functionality, but with a few differences. Which one you use is up to you.

Delicious

Delicious began life as del.icio.us in 2003 as one of the first social bookmarking sites and was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. Yahoo! officially changed the name to “Delicous,” but the old URL still works.

One of the main benefits of Delicious is that it’s used by a LOT of people. More people = more opportunities to discover good bookmarks. A look at the “Popular Bookmarks” section of Delicious as I’m writing this shows 315 bookmarks added in the last minute with the most popular bookmarks saved by over 100 people each, some approaching 200. By comparison, the “Hot Bookmarks” on Diigo have all been saved by less than 50 people.

In addition to the large user-base, Delicious benefits from being owned by Yahoo! This means there’s a good chance it’ll stick around. A couple years ago, a new social bookmarking site popped up that was supposed to blow Delicious out of the water. The site was ma.gnolia. In January of 2009, ma.gnolia suffered a major server crash and all user data was lost. Ma.gnolia then went offline only to re-appear in a limited beta as gnolia.com. (Both Delicious and diigo have the ability to back up your bookmarks to your computer, so if catastrophe strikes you’ll at least have your bookmarks up until the last time you backed up.)

diigo

Diigo came onto the scene in July of 2006 and offered a host of new features to differentiate itself from Delicious and other social bookmarking sites. In addition to bookmarking, diigo allows users to highlight any part of a webpage and annotate the page with sticky notes. These highlights and sticky notes can be private or shared within a diigo group. In theory this is a great feature, but in practice its usefulness is still up in the air.

The second major new feature of diigo is the ability to take a snapshot of a page. Have you ever saved a bookmark only to go back later and find the page no longer exists? With the snapshot feature of diigo, you can take a snapshot of the page as it was when you bookmarked it, and pull it up in the future even if the page is no longer available. This is a very useful feature, but you have to remember to save a snapshot or it can’t help you.

Why should you care?

If you use social bookmarking for nothing more than organizing your own bookmarks you’ll still be way ahead of the game. The old way of saving bookmarks locally on every web browser you use, only to have the list grow to unusable and unorganized proportions, is over. With social bookmarking and tags you’ll be able to find any bookmark, no matter how old, very easily. Once you start taking advantage of the social aspects, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without social bookmarking.

Additional resources

Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about social bookmarking:

• Ultimate Guide to Social Bookmarking
  
• The Several Habits of Wildly Successful del.icio.us Users
• Diigo tour (video)
• Diigo Tutorials

The AudioBoo Record Screen

AudioBoo is an easy to use podcasting app for the iPhone. Once you sign up for a free account on the AudioBoo website, you can download and log in to the free AudioBoo app on your iPhone then start creating your content. You’re given a page/feed on the AudioBoo website so people can subscribe to your podcasts. You can create audio podcasts up to 3 minutes in length. You can attach a photo to each podcast, add titles, text, and even geolocation before uploading.

To learn more about this great app, watch a video walkthrough.

Can you think of some great ways to use this for educational purposes? Sound off in the comments…