Free suggestions

"Microsoft IT created Work Smart productivity guides (previously Everyday Productivity Education (EPE) guides) to bridge the gap between technology and users. Work Smart guides provide employees with scenario-based, best-use productivity aids on Microsoft products and technologies. As more Work Smart guides are published, Microsoft IT expects to see more consistent, productive, and cost-effective use of products and technologies across the company."

Labels: Free Stuff, Reference, Tutorials

Photoshop tip

Labels: Graphics, Tutorials

Be cool in the office

What is Pentrix? Pentrix is the new and improved version of Pentix - The Art of Pen Spinning web site. Pentix has been around since January, 2000 and has grown in popularity among pen spinners ever since. The mission of Pentrix is to teach people how to spin their pens.

Labels: Activities, General, Tutorials

Fold it all up

Labels: Art, Free Stuff, Tutorials

Casino tutoring

Teaching probability can be challenging because the mathematical formulas often are too abstract and complex for the students to fully grasp the underlying meaning and effect of the concepts. Games can provide a way to address this issue. For example, the game of roulette can be an exciting application for teaching probability concepts.
In this paper, we implement a model of roulette in a spreadsheet that can simulate outcomes of various betting strategies. The simulations can be analyzed to gain better insights into the corresponding probability structures. We use the model to simulate a particular betting strategy known as the bet-doubling, or Martingale, strategy. This strategy is quite popular and is often erroneously perceived as a winning strategy even though the probability analysis shows that such a perception is incorrect.

The simulation allows us to present the true implications of such a strategy for a player with a limited betting budget and relate the results to the underlying theoretical probability structure. The overall validation of the model, its use for teaching, including its application to analyze other types of betting strategies are discussed.

"An in-depth but easily readable guide on probability theory, covering various aspects of the theory with a bias to gambling games and strategies. Includes working examples in an excel spreadsheet."

Labels: Activities, Reference, Tutorials

Get started in the right direction

• Access
  
  
• Adobe Acrobat
  
  
• Dreamweaver
  
  
• Excel
  
  
• FrontPage
  
  
• Microsoft Office Tools
  
  
• Outlook
  
  
• Outlook Web Access
  
  
• PowerPoint
  
  
• Publisher
  
  
• Visio
  
  
• Windows
  
  
• Word Art
  
  
• Word

Labels: Tutorials

Make your own

"One of the great things about Google maps is it has its roots in XML. To translate for the non-web developers out there, it basically means Google maps are user hackable.

This how-to will show you how to make your own annotated Google map from your own GPS data. Plus, you'll be able to tie in images and video to create an interactive multimedia map.

We'll walk you through the steps we took to generate an annotated map of a walk we took recently through our hometown, now that it's actually starting to get warm enough to want to walk about!"

Labels: Links, Reference, Tutorials

(Almost, if you've got the parts laying around)

"I started with an old PC (a Dell Dimension 4500) that had unfortunately been destroyed by lightning. After some experimentation, I figured out that the only bad portions of the PC were the motherboard and the modem (which I didn't need anyway). I decided to replace the motherboard and keep the same case and other hardware because I really liked Dell's clamshell case design. I did some research at my local Fry's electronics store and got a motherboard that would allow me to use the same memory, processor, and case. After getting . . . . .

Labels: Tutorials

ADDENDUM

Indoor/Backyard Battles

"Always follow the rules! If you got hit in the head by a band but you don't want to take the 2-minute penalty (for instance), don't sit there fighting it out. Just suck it up and do the time. No one's going to have fun if all you guys end up doing is yelling at each other about rules and regulations. Take your time out, and keep in mind that, in the long run, you're going to have a much better time.

Clean up afterwards. Nobody's wife (or husband) likes to see rubber bands sitting in the chicken soup she had left simmering on the stove while she went out to buy some more carrots. ("Interesting flavor, honey...")

"This beauty is a fully functional machine gun with TWELVE rotating barrels and a live action trigger. Loads 12 bands per barrel for a whopping 144 rubber bands that shoot off as fast as you can turn the handle!"

Labels: Activities, Tutorials

Practice, Practice

"With the TypingMaster Online Test you can assess your personal typing skills in minutes for free - within your web browser.

Based on the short text typing sample, this Java™ applet will estimate your typing skills including typing speed, accuracy and net speed. You can also receive test results directly to your email address."

Labels: General, Tutorials

How dey do dat?

David Packer has a web site at Sheepfilms.co.uk .

The site has a collection of strange and funny short films and animations.

If you would like to learn how to create a GIF mini movie, he's written a tutorial:

How To Make This Film



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Labels: General, Tutorials

Tied Up?

The KnotPlot Site
By Rob Scharein

"Knot theory is a branch of algebraic topology where one studies what is known as the placement problem, or the embedding of one topological space into another."

The site includes a collection of knots.



You can, also, download a program called KnotPlot to develop your own knots


Click to see more moiré knots.

Animated Knots

Other nots:

Ripley's Believe it or not!

Hot or Not



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Labels: Activities, Tutorials

And other stuff

• "Relieve itching from chicken pox, poison ivy, poison oak, or pain from sunburn. Pour two cups Cheerios in a blender and blend into a fine powder on medium-high speed. Put the powdered Cheerios into a warm bath and soak in the oats for thirty minutes. It's a soothing oatmeal bath.
  
  
  
• Make "Cheerios Chicken." Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a jelly-roll pan (15.5 inches by 10.5 inches by 1 inch) with aluminum foil. Mix two cups finely crushed Cheerios (from the yellow box), one-quarter teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon parsley flakes, one-quarter teaspoon garlic powder, one-quarter teaspoon dried oregano leaves, and one-half teaspoon salt. Dip four chicken-breast halves (skinned and boned) into one-quarter cup milk, then roll in cereal mix until well coated. Place chicken in pan and drizzle with two tablespoons melted margarine. Bake until done, about twenty to twenty-five minutes. (Above 3,500 feet elevation, bake about thirty minutes.) Makes four servings."

Labels: Answers, Books, General, Products, Reference, Tutorials

Bending cloth

Just to break up a boring dinner setting, learn how to fold napkins.

(things to do while waiting for the news)



Napkin Folding Guide

Napkin Folds

Napkin Folding



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Labels: Activities, Tutorials

Not just Word

Labels: General, Products, Tutorials

Free Demos and templates

• Sarbanes-Oxley Pivot Diagrams
  
  
• Help Desk Flow
  
  
  

  "Here you will see the six data collection points for this example help desk. Call volumes, wait times, and resolution rates are tracked at each point in the process. The diagram flows from left to right and top to bottom. Not every caller will experience each of the steps, if a problem is resolved by a Level One technician, then the caller does not progress to the Level Two technician.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fault Tree Analysis
  
  
• PC Assembly Process Flow
  
  
• Supply Chain Analysis
  
  
• Value Stream Mapping
  
  
• Factory Floor Assembly Plan
  
  
• Loan Consolidation Process
  
  
• Investment Analysis Report
  
  
• HVAC Controls
  
  
• Military Organization Chart
  
  
• Network Equipment Rack
  
  
• Insurance Claims by State
  
  
• Audit Process
  
  
• Office Space Planning

Labels: Free Stuff, Help, Products, Tutorials

No need to starve

Little kids eat with chopsticks, surely you can learn how.

Here's a link to seven easy steps.

Chopsticks in Seven Steps

Also:
How to Eat with Chopsticks


Chopstick Kids



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Labels: Activities, Products, Tutorials

How to do dat

"Google is so easy to use, why take this online tutorial? If you're like many people, you use only a fraction of Google's features and services. The more you know about how Google works, its features and capabilities, the better it can serve your needs.

Just as the best way to learn how to sail is to sail, the best way to learn how to search with Google is to search with Google. Consequently, this Google tutorial contains many examples and exercises designed to give you practice with the material presented and to inspire you to find amusing or useful information."

Using Search Operators:
Advanced Operators

Google Guide TOC:
Table of Contents

Also:

GoogleTutor.com

and

Googling for XML

also:


Logoogle



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Labels: Search, Tutorials

No match cover required

Do you want to learn how to draw? Now you can online! Learn how to draw like an artist, from a professional artist. Begin by learning the fundamentals of drawing with easy to follow interactive instruction.

Learn how to draw a person and make it actually look like the person! Take drawing people further and learn how to draw a caricature of a person!

• DRAWING BASICS
  You don't know how to draw? Begin learning how to draw.
  
  
• DRAWING PEOPLE
  You know how to draw, but you can't draw people.
  
  
• DRAW CARICATURES
  You want to draw funny people, but you don't know how?

Labels: Activities, Tutorials