Toolshed

Title: Amazon Cloud Drive Author/Publisher/Creator: Jeff Bezos URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.amazon.com/clouddrive Category: Online Data Storage Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser, app download for your phone and desktop.
 * Media Sharing**

Description: Amazon Cloud Drive offers secure file storage for free (up to 5GB). Files may be music, documents, videos, or photos. Music purchased from Amazon are also stored on the cloud drive. Apps are available to play this cloud stored music on many smart devices. Additional storage space is available for a fee (20GB – 1000GB)

Use: I have been a loyal customer of Amazon for many years. Their server security and customer service make them an excellent choice when deciding on an online storage application. I have never used their service, so I downloaded it to my phone. It was nice to be able to listen to my music purchases without having to download them to my phone. The music played with very little buffering time in the beginning and the sound quality was excellent. I can also upload music to the cloud drive from my computer, so I will definitely be using this, whether at work or for personal use.

Title: Google Docs Author/Publisher/Creator: Larry Page and Sergey Brin URL or Source for the Tool: http://docs.google.com/ Category: Online Data Storage Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Google Docs is a free component of Google. It allows you to create, edit, and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It also allows you to upload files and create folders.

Use: I had not yet used Google Docs much before this assignment. I had it since it was a free add on to my account. It was the first cloud application that I used. I created a few test files that I collaborated with others on. Sharing is easy, and the people who you work with do not need to have Google accounts. The bonus of being able to upload your own files from your computer is the feature I like the most. I can use this feature extensively. I can upload documents and spreadsheets from work and download or view them at home. Storing often used files on Google Docs will allow me to attach them to my email quickly. My presentations can be uploaded in case of an emergency with my equipment. My smart phone runs the Android operating system. This will allow me to quickly access the files and to edit them, although editing could be difficult on a small screen.

Title: MediaFire Author/Publisher/Creator: MediaFire URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.mediafire.com/ Category: Online Data Storage Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Online file sharing website that allows you to upload and share various file types with a free subscription. Additional features (more storage, custom URLs, and embeddable dropboxes) are available with a paid subscription.

Use: I had no personal experience with this service prior to this assignment. I knew I liked Google Docs, so I was interested in looking at other software vendors for cloud storage. This software was incredibly easy to use. I quickly uploaded several files (documents, pictures, videos) and was able to access them. This service also allows you to create a URL for sharing purposes. In addition, you can share using social media websites. I can definitely see this software as a great way to collaborate with others on projects, as well as storage for presentations. As a frequent presenter, I see this as a great backup tool for times my personal equipment may not function correctly.

**Animation**

Title: DoInk Author/Publisher/Creator: DK Pictures URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.doink.com/ Category: Animation Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: DoInk is a vector editor and animator that you can use to post animations to your social networking sites or download to your computer.

Use: This was my first time using DoInk. It is a very simple editor and it only took me a few seconds to figure out the controls. I completed a basic animation in about ten minutes. I see this application as a neat way to add animations to slides, presentations, and websites. Until I use it more, I think better animations can be made using Photoshop for your professional use, but as a tool to use with elementary and middle school aged children, I think this is a very neat application.

Title: Dvolver Author/Publisher/Creator: N/A URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/make.html Category: Online video Tool Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

 Description: Dvolver allows you to make a custom animation sequence for your projects or presentations.

 Use: This website is very straight forward. You pick a background, characters, text, and music and it animates the scene for you. There are quite a few options, and the animation is pretty well done. This is very simple to use. This would make a great tool for older students, as some of the innuendos are a little sexual.

Title: Voki Author/Publisher/Creator: Oddcast URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.voki.com/ Category: Animation Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Voki allows you to create avatars that speak with your recorded voice. You can post these avatars to your blog, website or profile for use in presentations, classes, online classes, and other learning environments.

Use: This is a great application for use in the classroom and online. I quickly registered and created my first Voki. This app will allows you to add a personal touch to many of your electronic documents. The only drawback that I see to this application is that it can not be downloaded; you have to embed the file. I can myself and others using this as a fun icebreaker for online classes as well as an added stimulus in classroom instruction.

media type="custom" key="10456566"

**Web/Text/Video Design**

Title: Weebly Author/Publisher/Creator: David Rusenko, Dan Veltri and Chris Fanini URL or Source for the Tool: [|http://www.weebly.com] Category: Online Design Tool Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Weebly is a free online web page creator that gives users the freedom to produce web pages from pre-formatted designs. It also allows you to custom design web pages. They offer free sites, paid sites, web page design, and domain names/registration.

Use: This website is an awesome tool for those who wish to have a website, but may not have the technical expertise to create one. The site is very user friendly and the interface is comfortable and quick to learn. After registering, I looked at the available templates and created a non published site. It was very easy to use and would make a great tool for individuals or organizations.

Title: Cool Text Author/Publisher/Creator: Livingston Technologies URL or Source for the Tool: [|http://cooltext.com/] Category: Online Design Tool Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Cool Text is an online text generator. It is free to use and has numerous text effects to choose from.

Use: This is a very nice tool to use when you want to have impressive graphics but don’t know how to use graphic software. It can be used to generate many visually appealing elements for websites, presentations, email, or any electronic media. It is very easy to use and the process of creation and saving takes minutes. You do not have to register, so this would be a great tool for the classroom.

Title: Jigsy Author/Publisher/Creator: Dave Shworan URL or Source for the Tool:http://jigsy.com/?viviti=true Category: Online Design Tool Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Jigsy is an online web page creator that allows you to view your web page as you create it. It has free and paid hosting, as well as other domain tools such as e-commerce, statistics, and blogging tools.

Use: This is another great site for those who want a website but may not have the technical expertise to create one. The interface was mostly user friendly and would be a great tool for classroom use, personal webpages, and those for small companies or organizations.

Title: StupeFlix

Author/Publisher/Creator: Nicolas Steegmann, François Lagunas, Etienne Albert URL or Source for the Tool: http://www.stupeflix.com/ Category: Online Video Tool Technical Information: Computer, internet, web browser

Description: Stupeflix allows you to upload your own photos and videos and edit them into a video. You simply upload your media, including an audio track, and StupeFlix creates the video for you. You can arrange items to your satisfaction, then download your creation.

Use: This website is very nice and simple. It allows you to quickly create videos. I see this as a great tool for the classroom, but not as a tool for a professional looking video..