Saying Goodbye To MS Word And Excel

Months ago, I used Google Docs, and I thought it was pretty neat. However, I discontinued using it because it did not offer offline feature back then. Couple of days ago I tried Google Docs again and found out that it is fully equipped to work both online and offline. I like the fact that with Google Docs you can work on your documents whenever, wherever. I have had enough of Microsoft, and it is time to say goodbye to MS Word and Excel.

Google Docs is a free, hosted service where you can create and share documents such as word process, spreadsheet etc. The feature I like most is that you are not tied up to your own computer. Also, users can share and collaborate in real time. This is very useful if a group of students or a team of Internet Entrepreneurs are working on a project and would like to share and edit as they go along.

Recently, Google added limited PDF functionality to Google Docs. It can now upload, share, “copy and paste text” and “save as PDF”. Although Edit feature is not yet available, Google is expected to implement it shortly.

I have never been a fan of Microsoft Word and Excel. In this digital age, users are looking for a simple product with an emphasis on sharing ability. MS office failed to meet customer demand and ignored to address customer’s needs. Until now, I had no other choice but using MS Office. But now that there is an alternative , I am not going back to MS, and it is time to say goodbye.

First Published on: Jun 23, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

3 Things You Will Love and Hate About Amex Cobalt Card

American Express Cobalt Credit Card

American Express launched a new credit card recently. I will talk about 3 things you will love and hate about this credit card. Let’s start with 3 things you will love.

Rewards Structure: The first thing you will love is its rewards on some specific things such as grocery and restaurants, which will earn 5 rewards points. By far this is the highest return (5%) in Canada if you redeem these points for travel purposes.

Annual Fee Structure: Instead of paying $120 annually, you will be paying $10 per month. This is another first as well and it’s easier on your wallet to pay each month rather than a year at a time.

SPG Points: The capability to convert rewards points to Starwood Reward points (1:0.05). What this means is that for certain categories you will earn 2.5 SPG points, which is hard to find anywhere else.

Now let’s talk about 3 things you will hate.

Missing Travel Insurances: Although the Cobalt card provides some travel insurances, it does not provide very important travel insurances such as Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption, which are a must for any traveller.

No Airline Points Transfer: The Cobalt card does not offer any direct airline transfer partners such as Avios or Aeroplan. Yes, you can transfer to many airlines via SPG, but for many that’s not an option.

Not Accepted Everywhere: This is a common problem with all Amex cards, as they are not widely accepted everywhere like Visa and MasterCard.

Before selecting any credit cards, always do your research and make an educated decision based on your lifestyle and needs. If you would like to watch this article in a video, please visit here:

Amex Cobalt | 3 Things You Will Love & Hate |

The Most Successful Entrepreneurs in History

Successful Entrepreneurs in the World

Every field has those who excel, and entrepreneurship is just a further example of that. There are those who do well as entrepreneurs, and then there are those who do amazingly well. They are the ones who excel at what they do, and move forward in life to greatness. So, who are these entrepreneurs and what did they do to make themselves so successful?

  • Richard Branson: One of the most famous men on Earth, he is known for his adventures just as much as he is for his business. Branson dropped out of school at the age of 16 and began a magazine called Student Magazine. From there, he went on to form Virgin Records, which signed some of the best bands of the 70s. Moving forward, he then created an entire Virgin brand that has 360 companies within it, including an airline and the world’s first space tourist service.
     
  • Coco Chanel: Growing up as an orphan, Chanel worked as a seamstress to make ends meet. She had a strong drive that pushed her to try new things and learn new things, and that allowed her to create fashion ideas that would revolutionize what people wore. These days, she is known as much for her perfume, Chanel No. 5, as she is for her extremely profitable business.
     
  • Michael Dell: Starting with $1,000 from home, Michael Dell dropped out of college and created PC’s Limited, which would become Dell Inc. From there, he created through drive and determination, one of the most successful computer manufacturing companies on the entire planet.
     
  • Bill Gates: The richest man on Earth from 1995 to 2006, Gates dropped out of college and began Microsoft with a friend. With revolutionary new ways for users to use computers, Gates not only helped start the computer revolution, but helped to change the world in the process.
     
  • Henry Ford: Speaking of changing the world, Henry Ford started off small as an apprentice when he was 16 and would go on to found the Ford Motor Company. Through his amazing concept of assembly line production, Ford not only changed how people made cars, but he made them more affordable for the masses and his concept of assembly lines changed the world in everything from clothing to food.
     
  • Walt Disney: His name is known to all of us, and this high school dropout started off as just an animator who created a company that has become iconic. Thanks to starting off making cartoons with a mouse named Mickey, Disney and his company have gone on to create theme parks around the world, while making an estimated $30 billion a year.

These are just a few of the most successful entrepreneurs in history. If you want to be successful, it would be a good idea to learn their story and see how they were able to find such immense success in the working world. If they can do it, so can you.

First Published: entrepreneurjourney.com July 3, 2010

Free Credit Monitoring for Canadians

Credit Monitoring After Equifax Data Breach

Credit monitoring should a part of your routine to protect your information and stay safe, especially after the Equifax data breach. The good news is there are 2 financial services companies who are already providing this for Canadians for free.

Credit Karma provides a free TransUnion credit score for Canadians and recently this financial services provider started providing free credit monitoring. When important changes happen on your TransUnion credit report, such as an address change, a hard inquiry, or opening a new account, Credit Karma will notify you via email.

Another financial services provider, Mogo.ca, recently mentioned that they are working on a new alert feature on Equifax credit score that will let its members know when a new inquiry occurs. Mogo already provides a free Equifax credit score for its members. However, it is not clear from the email I received from Mogo whether this feature is currently active or if they are still working on it.

Use all the tools and features to keep an eye on your credit files and take steps to protect yourself should someone try to use your information fraudulently. I regularly publish brief videos of this nature, so to keep updated subscribe to my YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/adawn. Also, I have a video on the same article you just read and you can watch this here: Free Credit Monitoring After Equifax Data Breach

 

Invest Now Hits Chapters Indigo Bookshelves

The Wait Is Over - Invest Now Is Available

First Published: June 20, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

I am writing this post to let all A Dawn Journal readers know that Invest Now has hit Chapters Indigo bookshelves. Invest Now is initially available at -

 

Chapters - Queensway
1950 The Queensway
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9C 5H5 Canada
(416)622-2838

Later on, Invest Now will be placed in additional locations.  Invest Now is also available at these fine online shops: Amazon.ca, Chapters.indigo.ca, Barnesandnoble.com.  Invest Now delivers a convincing case for avoiding daily spending temptations and then shows you the secrets to smart investing. With as little as $25, you can become a successful investor by following three simple and practical steps.

The must-have guide for Canadian investors, Invest Now delivers three surprisingly simple steps to safeguard your financial future.

You don’t have to be a financial guru to develop a consistent savings plan and accumulate wealth. Invest Now offers all the tools and motivation you need to start building a safe and secure financial future now for you and your family. Invest Now has won prestigious Editor’s Choice and highly prestigious Publisher’s Choice award for its editorial integrity and outstanding design quality.

Invest Now at Chapters Indigo Queensway.jpg

NB: To view more pictures, please visit A Dawn Journal Flickr page

Award-winning Invest Now covers a broad range of topics including Internet Scams. To purchase a copy, visit Chapters Indigo or click here to buy online - Invest Now: A Canadian's Guide to Investing