With Gmail, or Yahoo Mail, you can send files up to 10 MB, which is pretty large (a 10-minute mp3 file, for example).
But sometimes, you need to send someone a file that is larger. My favorite service is YouSendIt. I send files to Boston and get them back fine with this service. Normally, a geek like me would use FTP, but that requires owning a web site and using specialized software. With YouSendIt, it is all done on the web, and is very similar to sending an email.
Sometimes you have a DVD with a small section of video you want to use in class, or want to put on your iPod, or you want to edit a little for your class use. This is legally OK because it is called Fair Use, an exception to copyright, specifically for education. HandBrake is a software you download and install on your computer to change from one format to another.There are many different video formats, and not all people can play all the formats on their computers, so a coversion software is necessary. This one is free, and works very well. This does require some knowledge of editing videos to use well. Sorry, no Japanese version available.
More research tools. There are a lot of bibliography makers out there, but this one is simple to use and the basic account is free, plenty enough for my zemi students and their research.
EasyBib is nice because you don’t have to download anything to your computer. You can also share your bibliography if you work together in a group.
Google’s applications online go beyond an office suite, this calendar makes it easy to coordinate your own life, and share coordination with others using their calendars too. This is particlularly valuable in setting meeting times.
I have 3 different calendars in one, with stuff added to some of them. My personal calendar has all my information, but does not include the phases of the moon, for example. I have a calendar for my friends and family, and another for my volunteer work, and finally another for my “paid hobbies” (work). I have my reminder deadlines inserted automatically (by a service called Remember the Milk, another upcoming tool). I can control who sees, and who can interect on each calendar (I have one for students if they want to make an appointment with me, for example). Versions in English, Japanese and many other languages.
Sparknotes is a site designed to help high school and university native speakers of English in their studies. Many professors look down on such sites as being a kind of cheating, but for non-native speakers it is an invaluable reference in how to do summaries. You can look up pretty much anthing, but they specialize in literature. They have complete chapter-by-chapter summaries of the most popular books in high school. They even have some audio versions you can download and listen to on your mp3 player, and text versions for your iPod or phone. This is where books start turning into bits.