If you don’t have Microsoft Office (MS Office) for any reason, Open Office is a great alternative to MS Office. Open Office is a free productivity suite that allows users to create and edit documents and other files. Like the productivity software giant, Open Office comes with a word processor (Writer), spreadsheet software (Calc), presentation software (Impress), and a database creator (Base). Some additional features include an illustration and design program (Draw) and a mathematical equation editor (Math).

Although Open Office comes with open-source file extensions (the most popular being .odt and .ods), the software is compatible with MS Office, which means that users can open and edit their files in the appropriate Open Office program. You can also create a file in Open Office and save it as an MS Office file. Saving a file as a PDF is also an option in Open Office Writer. Overall, Open Office is a great choice for budget-conscious people who want to have many of the features that MS Office provides.

When it comes to creating apps and other software that make your life easier, Google can’t be beat. Having a Gmail account is becoming indispensable (especially since sites like YouTube require a Google account). Did you know that embedded within your Gmail account is an entire suite of productivity software that you can use for free?

Google Drive is an app suite that allows you to create and store online files. With Google Drive, you can create text documents, presentations, spreadsheets, forms, and drawings. Google Drive offers 5 GB of free space with the ability to purchase an additional 25 GB of space for $2.49 per month. Like Google Docs, you can share your files and collaborate with others. You can also download Google Drive to  your desktop or mobile phone and access your files wherever, whenever. You don’t need to worry about carrying an USB drive since your files are instantly available through your Gmail account. Ditch the USB drive and live a stress-free life by switching to Google Drive.

Google Chat is an in-email feature that gives you the option to chat with your email contacts. If you have a microphone and some spare change, you can use Google Voice to speak with your contacts over the internet (similar to Skype).

In addition, you can keep up with your favorite websites through Google Reader, shop for Android apps with Google Play, plan a trip with Google Maps, and read a classic novel with Google Books. Google even has some apps in beta, so you can see what might be the Next Big Thing with Google. Explore your Google account to discover what this technology giant has to offer!

If you’re like me and have a tendency to sing in your car (or anyplace where there’s no one around), then Songify is the app for  you. Creating a song is as easy as speaking the words into the inbuilt microphone on your smartphone device. The app then converts your song into music…or something like that. Songify is brought to you by the same people who created AutoTune the News (if you’re unfamiliar with the series, you should check it out.). The Songify app is available for free on iTunes and in the Google Play store.

If you’ve ever been curious about e-books but don’t want to pay a lot of money for a Kindle or a Nook, download Overdrive instead!

Overdrive is an app that gives you access to e-books and audiobooks from many public and college libraries and is available for multiple devices (PCs, Macs, and smartphones, among others). Right now, you can download audiobooks available at NOVA though Overdrive. To download Overdrive, visit http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/.

Once you install Overdrive onto your device, search for your local library. Once you’ve selected your library, browse or search for the book you want (remember that not all books are available electronically.) From there, enter your library account information to download the book.

After downloading your book, access it through Overdrive:

Like traditional print books, there is a limit on how long you can keep it. Most books downloaded from VCCS can be borrowed for two weeks. Borrowers are unable to access the digital book once the lending period is over.

Go ahead and give Overdrive a try today!

What happens when a bunch of geniuses, industry leaders, and intellectuals get together? TED Talks. TED (short for Technology, Education, and Design) Talks are a series of lectures and presentations given by the world’s most innovative and intelligent people on a variety of topic. Topics include anything from computers, to literature, and anthropology. If you’re a person who enjoys learning something new, then TED Talks are for you. If you’ve ever taken a library instruction class, then you may have already watched parts of Eli Pariser’s TED Talk about the filter bubble.

Gary Kovacs (CEO of the Mozilla Coporation) recently gave a talk about the ways in which websites are tracking your data. You can view the talk by clicking here.