This document provides an overview of digital tools for web and mobile platforms. It discusses hardware, platforms, software, and data basics. It then covers different types of digital tools including applications, content formats, and ways to find tools and content. Several specific tools are demonstrated, including Spreeder for improving reading speed, AllTop for finding news feeds, and Pen.io, Weebly, and Google Sites for creating web pages. Self-check activities are included to test understanding of digital fundamentals.

1. Web and
Mobile Tools
Charles G. Hollins

2. • What is digital?
• Hardware
• Platforms
• Software
• Data

3. The basics
Taken from Webopedia, Digital

4. Elements of Digital

5. Self-check activity
Digital fundamentals self-check

6. Self-check activity review
For each of the following, identify the hardware
function it most relates to: (I)nput, (S)torage,
(P)rocessing, (T)ransfer, (O)utput
1. Tapping a touchscreen to open a mobile
app
2. Connecting a Webcam to computer via a
cable
3. Listening to music on headphones
connected to a tablet
4. Copying files to a USB flash drive
5. Deleting files from a floppy disk
6. Feeling a vibration on a touchscreen when
tapping it
7. Scanning a bar code
8. Searching for the details associated with
the scanned bar code
9. Scanning a photograph
10. Uploading a photograph to Facebook
11. Sending a text message
12. Doing a Google search
13. Viewing the playback of a video you
recorded
14. The pause immediately after you take a
picture
15. The pause during buffering when a
streaming video is initiated
For each of the following, identify the type of
network it most relates to: (C)able
connection, (W)i-fi, (M)obile Broadband,
(B)luetooth, (G)PS:
1. Two laptops send documents to a printer
at the same time
2. Connecting a wireless headset to a
smartphone
3. Connecting an external hard drive to a
computer
4. Connecting a smartphone and a tablet to
a home network
5. Transferring files between two
smartphones in the same room
6. Your smartphone connects to the Web to
download email during your commute to
work
7. Copying all the photos and videos from a
tablet to a computer
8. Connecting a streaming media box to a
television
6

7. Self-check activity review
Name the operating system that matches the
following description:
1. An open-source mobile OS that runs on a wide
variety of phones
2. A freely available computer OS that is rare in
comparison to Windows and MacOS
3. Operating systems that combine software and
ship with portable devices are called _________
_________
4. The latest mobile operating system from
Microsoft
For each of the following, identify its primary
functions: Query and (V)iew, Create and (A)lter,
(C)ommunicate, Control and (M)anage, (T)ransact:
1. Microsoft Word
2. IMDB Mobile App
3. YouTube Web Site
4. Calendar Mobile App
5. Google Maps
6. iTunes
7. Skype
8. Calculator
9. Wells Fargo Online Banking
10.Shazam
11.Google Chrome Web Browser
For each of the items listed below, identify
which type of application it most relates to:
(S)tandalone, (W)eb, (C)lient/Server Web
1. Streaming movies from the Internet to a
TV through a set-top box
2. Watching a TV show on a tablet
3. Using the Yelp smartphone app to search
for nearby Italian restaurants
4. Adding numbers using the calculator app
on a computer
5. Browsing the Forbes Web site on a tablet
to read the latest news
6. Scanning a bar code and searching for
places to purchase the item
7. Searching Google.com for articles on
neuroscience research
8. A set of solitaire card games on a
computer
9. Sending an email using a mobile app
10.Viewing a document using the mobile
version of Adobe Acrobat
11.Using a computer to purchase books
from Amazon
7

8. • PC applications
• Application extensions
• Mobile apps
• Web/cloud applications
• Software business models
• Finding tools

9. Types of digital tools

10. Business models

11. Finding tools

12. Researching digital tools

13. Researching digital tools
Blogs such as LifeHacker are great
resources for finding tools to suit a
particular need.
Search Google for “Lifehacker:
best [tool label] [platform]”

14. Finding software alternatives
Search alternativeto.net to view a list
of applications with similar features.
• Enter the name of a software
program
• View list of alternatives
• Filter by platform, license, or tag
• Sort by rank, popularity or recently
added

15. Demo and lab activity
Finding desktop application tools
Finding mobile app tools (optional)

16. • Digital content formats
• Instructional uses
• Tools for finding content
• Documenting links
• Creative Commons

17. Digital content formats
Messages
Comments
Links
Ebooks
Reference Material
Photographs
Diagrams
Illustrations
Lectures
Interviews
Lectures
Interviews
Screencasts
Presentations
Interactive media
Simulations

18. Using digital content

19. Resources for students

20. Tools for finding content
20
Google
Images
YouTube
Google Play
iTunes
NY Times CNN Amazon
PriceGrabber Download.com Lifehacker

21. Documenting links

22. Demo and lab
Finding content and resources
to supplement your material

23. • Umano
• Spreeder
• AllTop
• Pocket
• Evernote
• Springpad
• Bit.ly

24. Common challenges

25. Umano
A mobile application for listening to
news articles narrated by voice
actors.
• Select categories and news
channels
• View a feed of recommendations
• Add articles to a customized
playlist
• Play new articles
• Favorite and comment on articles
• Share articles

26. Spreeder
Improve reading speed using rapid
serial visualization presentation.
• Paste text from copied from
other sources
• Play the text in window, one or
two words at a time
• Adjust settings to optimize your
reading
• Use a one-click browser
bookmarklet to Spreed text on
any page with one click

27. Demo and lab
Improve your reading speed using RSVP

28. AllTop
“An online magazine rack the Web”
• Browse subjects, topics and sub-
topics
• Locate channels and feeds on
relevant topics
• View the latest news
• Combine different feeds and
articles into a personal collection
• Share your collection

29. Pocket
Manage an online list of content
you’d like to consume later.
• Add links directly to the Web
application, use a browser
extension, or send from mobile
apps
• View your queue of content from
a browser or mobile app
• Tag your items for easy
organization

30. Evernote
Remember Everything
• Add notes containing text,
images, audio memos, links
handwriting, attachments and
other elements
• Organize notes in stacks & folders
• Tag and add meta data to notes
• View, search and manage notes
from a desktop application,
mobile app, or the Evernote web
application
• Export notes to a variety of
formats
• Backup data to your computer

31. Springpad
Manage structured lists of data in
powerful ways.
• Manage items based on type:
product, movie, book, etc.
• Add items manually using the
Web application, from a browser
extension or a mobile device
• Organize into themed notebooks
and apply tags
• Generate feeds of your items for
use in other applications
• Share your notebooks and track
who sees what

32. Bit.ly
Easily work with long links
• Abbreviate long URLs to create
compact links
• Easily email or send links via text
message
• Track clicks and view analytics

33. Demo and lab
Managing your online research, notes and links
Using a URL shortener

34. • HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Google Drive
• Slideshare
• Scribd
• Working with text and
documents

35. Common Document Formats
ASCII Text (txt) Rich Text Format (rtf)
Limited to plain text. Portable
and good for quickly storing
simple content
A semi-portable format
supported by most word
processors
Microsoft Word (doc)
This popular document format
works primarily with Microsoft
Word
Web Page (html) Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
A portable format that
supports structure, layout
formatting, links, embedded
media, and scripting
A portable format designed to
present print-formatted
pages the same way on any
platform

36. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
A universal standard for formatting
text for viewing in a browser.
• Apply formatting and layout
• Display links and embed media
• Integrate a form
• Define the visual properties of
document elements (CSS)
• Support for interactive scripting
(JavaScript)

37. Adobe Acrobat Pro
A toolkit for creating documents that
look the same on any device.
• Generate a PDF from any other
document format
• Combine, order, delete pages
• Add links and integrate rich
media
• Overlay a form
• Use OCR on faxes and scans
• Apply security settings
• Digitally sign documents
• Add several types of comments

38. Google Drive
Cloud application combines office
suite with storage platform
• Word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation, drawing, and more
• Easily share documents via URL
• Concurrent editing, collaboration,
version history, in-document
instant messaging
• Export to PDF and other popular
document formats

39. Slideshare
Publish your presentation online.
Share link or embed in a web page.
• Upload your Power Point
presentation
• Configure settings (downloading,
embedding, etc.)
• View basic or detailed analytics
• Add to your LinkedIn profile or
embed in a Web page, or share
on social media

40. Scribd
Upload documents and make them
accessible on the Web
• Make your document easily
viewed on mobile devices
• Sell documents online
• View analytics

41. Working with text and docs

42. Demo and lab
Publishing your presentation to SlideShare

43. • Pen.io
• Weebly
• Google Sites

44. Pen.io
Likely the fastest way to create and
publish a single Web page
• Choose label and password
• Type content inside page, paste
plain text content
• Page HTML markup to add
images and embedded media

45. Weebly
A free platform for creating a
complete Web site.
• Start with pre-existing templates
that fit your design preferences
• Build a Web site using visual tools
• Paste content from other sources
• Publish the site

46. Google Sites
Create more robust Web sites
• Start with pre-existing themes
• Use familiar interfaces to create
Web pages
• Configure permissions and settings
for collaborative editing and
management

47. Demo and lab
Creating a Web page for your course

48. Photo Credits
Flickr/AskDaveTaylor Flickr/dan4th Flickr/thedavisblog Flickr/FailedImitator Flickr/natri_shirt-label

49. About the Presenter