Navigating the Digital World: Free and Low-Cost Technology

 

Are you keeping up with rapid advancements in technology? 

We live in a world of rapidly changing technology.  Gone, are the days of the typewriter, large, slow computers, land lines and chorded phones.  Much of the world's happenings, including tools for day-to-day living, involve the use of technology.  

Pandora (streaming music), PBS documentaries, YouTube "how to" and instructional videos - add to the quality of life, easily accessible and at $0 cost.  Technology can be used to create new "sunrises". 

New Technology: Healthy Balance

"All technologies are developed with a purpose. However, some can become a substitute for moments in life that don't need tech, creating an imbalance between the real physical or spiritual world and binary code." Source: Forbes


Technology rapidly becomes outdated: Ideas for maintaining availability of technology

 - Is there a local library or "senior center" that has access to computers and the internet?

 -  Following update of her "cell phone", a daughter recently gave her mother an "outdated" (I-13), but improved cell phone. 

 - Using the internet to explore possibilities, a 10-year-old laptop was replaced with new - for $200!  With all of the required capabilities... not "name brand" but operates as if it were. 




Where Can I Get Essential Technology for Little or No Cost

INTERNET AND COMPUTER

Free internet and computer is often available at local libraries.


OPEN-SOURCE FREEWARE.  

Completely legitimate open-source freeware is available as follows:

PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY

LibreOffice. A free and open source office suite (writer, spread sheet, presentations, etc.) compatible with Microsoft Office.  Download LibreOffice | LibreOffice - Free Office Suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft

GoogleDocs. Create and collaborate on online documents in real-time and from any device.  Google Docs: Online Document Editor | Google Workspace   Google Docs

Adobe PDF Reader. Free basic version. Read PDF files.   PDF reader | Adobe Acrobat Reader

Soda Free PDF Reader & Creator 2023.  Soda PDF - All-in-one PDF Software to Edit, Convert and Sign PDF files.


E-MAIL

Yahoo Mail.  Free e-mail for both computer and smart phone.  hpps://mail.yahoo.com   Yahoo   

G Mail Google Accounts.  Free e-mail for both computer and smart phone.  Sign in - Google Accounts


INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE (safely navigate the web)

Microsoft Edge.  Get to Know Microsoft Edge

Google Chrome.  Google Chrome Web Browser

Fire Fox.  Download Mozilla Firefox for Windows — Fast, Private & Free - from Mozilla


USEFUL INTERNET SITES

Instructional Video's ("how to"...on just about everything ...)

YouTube. Video sharing platform.  YouTube

Buying and Selling

Facebook Marketplace.  Platform for browsing, buying, selling most anything used.  Facebook Marketplace: Buy and Sell Items Locally or Shipped | Facebook

Preserving Family Stories and Photos

Family Search.  Platform for researching and preserving family stories and photos.  Find your family. Free Genealogy Archives • FamilySearch

PicResize.  PicResize - Crop, Resize, Edit images online for free!

Budgeting & Personal Finance

Mint. Personal finance app that helps you track your cash accounts, credit cards, investments, and bills in one place. https:/ Mint.intuit.com

Personal Productivity

Sticky Notes. Create notes, type, ink or add a picture, add text formatting, stick them to the desktop, move them around there freely, close them to the Notes list, and sync them across devices and apps.   Microsoft Sticky Notes - Microsoft Apps

Estate Planning

The Ultimate Guide to Estate Planning.  AARP.  Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts and Other Tools (aarp.org)

Artificial Intelligence

Chat GPT. AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI, capable of generating human-like text based on context and past conversations. ChatGPT (openai.com)

Social Media

Facebook. Connect and share with friends and the world around you. Facebook - log in or sign up

3D Maps, Directions, Calculating Distance

Google Maps. Comprehensive and accurate online map service. You can search for places, get directions, see 3D views, and more.  
https://maps.google.co.id

Streaming Music

Pandora. Play the songs, albums, playlists and podcasts you love.   Free on Pandora | Radio, Songs & Lyrics

...and much, much more...

Call to Action: Essential Technology that I can get...


YOUR REFLECTIONS

We welcome your comments: What have you done to "keep up with technology"?  Useful internet site(s)?   

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