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The Free Office Suite Battle Gets More Complicated
By now everyone has heard of Google Docs, the cloud-based office suite that offers free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint-compatible programs. Well, Microsoft countered with its own freely downloadable Office 2010 suite. But it will stop working on Oct. 31 of this year. So Google began allowing users to upload virtually any kind of file to Google Docs for free. I've uploaded some Excel files, which I can edit online. Google's free online "Docs" spreadsheet is okay, but it's not nearly as full-featured as Excel. Now Microsoft is working on "Microsoft Docs," which is also free, but only works for people with Facebook accounts. If you're a Facebook user, click www.docs.com to check it out. This could be handy for Mac owners who use Facebook. MSOffice for the Mac has always been very expensive. MSOffice Version Free with a New PC Microsoft is also rumored to be creating a slimmed down version of MSOffice 2010, which will be included with the purchase of a new PC, and which can be upgraded to the full version for a price. It's said that MSWorks may be discontinued when this occurs. Well, none of these suites include a database app similar to the one in MSWorks, which continues to be my favorite program for printing labels and envelopes for bulk mailings (as in sending out holiday greeting cards to family and friends). Facebook Taking Over the World? Getting back to Facebook, they reportedly now have over 400 million members - more than the population of the United States. And they've recently come out with all kinds of new "social" options that basically encourage everyone in the world to get acquainted with everyone else. It's really quite mind-boggling. Vehicle Burglary That Went Unnoticed Russ Pelletier wrote that his vehicle was burglarized recently while he was having lunch with some coworkers - but the theft went unnoticed till the next day. Russ said he had parked with the driver's side of his Chevy Avalanche in plain sight, but the other side faced a wall that obscured its view. He had left his camera lying on the truck's console, but didn't notice anything wrong or missing when he returned to the vehicle. Russ went on to say he realized the camera was missing the next day when he went to get it. He thought maybe he had moved it or it had fallen to the floor. After searching feverishly for two days, questioning anyone who had been near the truck, and looking everywhere he might have put it, Russ began to have the sinking feeling it was lost or stolen. His new Garmin GPS was also in the truck, and he wondered why it wasn't taken, too. Well, the next day Russ noticed a tiny hole under the door handle on the truck's passenger side. His first thought was, "Someone shot my truck!" 
So he phoned a friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had ever seen anything like this. "Yes, all the time. Thieves punch a hole under the door handle, reach in and unlock it. No alarms, broken glass or anything." Russ then called his insurance agent, and explained what happened. Russ also mentioned being puzzled that the GPS wasn't taken. "Right," the agent replied, "they make the break-in so subtle you don't realize it happened. They check the GPS to see where 'home' is, and go to your house. If your vehicle isn't there they assume you're gone and burglarize your home." The agent also said they usually take only one or two credit cards and just a few checks from the middle a checkbook. By the time you realize anything is gone, they may have been illegally used for several days. Russ said, "I didn't realize my situation for two full days! They even re-locked my doors - probably didn't want me robbed by other thieves!" Russ suggests you change your GPS's home address to something like your local Wal-Mart and to park your vehicle in highly visible places. His had unknowingly been positioned perfectly for a break-in. Also, don't leave valuables visible in your car. Periodically walk around it - daily if in a shopping mall or other public parking area. Report thefts immediately to your bank, credit card agencies, police, and insurance companies. Russ summarized, "I hope you find this information beneficial in keeping your valuables and vehicles safe. Most importantly, it may keep your home from being burglarized!" Thank you for the tips, Russ. |
Senior Computer Tutor
Don Edrington
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