There’s something to be said about this pandemic and how it revealed the soundness of working from home. Unfortunately, it also revealed how as a community, our Internet speeds may not be the most advanced, and that we should be striving for better, more streamlined connections. If you’re a worker or a student who found yourself becoming entangled with all these technologies and more, then it’s about time you step it all up.
In this article, we’ve collated four of the better browser-based solutions that you can bookmark in order to create a more conducive environment for your learning and work. Always remember that these recommendations may not be specific to either one purpose, so cherry pick what you need, and be on the lookout for those that you may or may not use in the future.
PDF Editor and Converter
Trust us when we say that having a reliable PDF editor and converter that’s browser-based will save you a lot of time when it comes to PDF-related edits. Gone are the days when you need a separated, third-party PDF editor to do all these things for you. If you work with PDF all day, that may be warranted to buy or have a subscription to, but if you’re just using PDF editor for quick edits like merging pages, splitting a PDF into two or three files, delete pages from PDF, or convert them, then you’re better off with a browser-based editor.
Pdfbear is a top choice for this task, although you can also search the web for other recommendations. Your PDF editor and converter of choice should have the following though: quick editors, converters, and has optical character recognition (OCR). OCR is a great feature to have most especially when you’re converting PDF to Office-based file extensions like Word, Excel, etc.
Cloud Storage
The cloud is one of the most technologically-advanced developments for filing and files stored in the last two decades. Gone are the days when filing means that you store files physically in a physical location, organize them manually, and hope that they don’t get lost among all the other files in your stash. Storing files on a physical drive on your laptop or work computer may still be relevant, but most companies are slowly taking up cloud storage because of the lower risks of obsolescence.
For businesses, a paid subscription to the cloud storage of your choice may prove to be better in the long-run, but for students and employees, a personal cloud storage option that’s free should be enough. Not unless you store heavy files frequently, that is. Even so, the normal allocation for a free Drive account should be more than enough.
A Gmail account will give you access to a free Drive folder, so best take advantage of that. Upload your files in there once in a while and if you can, work with the complementary office suite that they offer. If you worked on important files from other applications, make sure that your Drive syncs your computer files automatically.
Cloud Computing and Office Suite
Speaking of, cloud computing is becoming the norm for most people working on documents today. Google really revolutionized the way people work, porting over word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations through the cloud, and making it seamlessly effortless. Most companies work with Docs, Sheets, and Slides all day, so if you’re a worker who’s working from home, better make acclimate to these browser-based tools immediately.
Concentration Tool
Pulling focus and concentration is arguably the most difficult part of learning and working at home. Our homes are havens where we relax, let the stress out, and be comfortable. The transition from office work to working from home can be daunting, but if you have all the tools to make it worthwhile, then you should have a wonderful time.
Use the Commodore technique if you haven’t already. This simple timer tool which you can use to concentrate on a task at hand with breaks in between will greatly improve your focus and concentration, letting you make the most out of working and learning from home. You can bookmark the top search result in Google for “Commodore timer” for it, and you’re good to go!
Takeaway
In this time of the pandemic, it’s important that we keep our eyes on the prize. While we wait for the trickling of the vaccine, keeping a socially-distanced existence with masks on is the best course of action. So don’t be afraid of making small adjustments to the way you live!