That was the idea behind an original new project in Barnet, England, where local students have devoted some of their free time to teaching older people a range of computer skills, according to The Barnet Times. For many of the older people, this was a brave new world.

"I was a nurse and never had to use a computer before," one of them, Pat Suitor, told the news source.

Unfortunately, not every community has a pool of young computer-savvy youths willing to volunteer their time. For those in that sort of situation, online training could be a great substitute.

Although the percentage of older Americans using computers is on the rise, it still lags far behind that of younger ones, according to The New York Times. Every year, the need for these skills becomes more crucial, and older people are finding they need to learn or hone their chops. In such a case - if tutors aren't available - free software training tutorials can help bridge the gap.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most powerful tools you can employ to help you stay on task. With help from some Microsoft training videos and a slight investment of time to establish a system, the program can help you get - and stay - on track.

Embracing customization

The most useful place to start is by understanding how to customize the program to fit your schedule and needs.

The view from the top

How do you like to view your information? Do you look over the most important pieces first or review data in chronological order? Whatever your answer, Outlook is able to meet your demands, simply click Change View in the Navigation panel on the left side. From there you'll find a helpful assortment of view options.

Stay alert

Instead of constantly checking Outlook for that email you're awaiting, it's easy to set alerts to notify you when it arrives, which will keep you from interrupting what you're doing to check your inbox.

To set this up, all you have to do is find the Email Options button in the Preferences tab and select how you want be notified when "new items arrive in my Inbox." For a subtler reminder you can have Outlook briefly change your mouse cursor. Alternatively, you can have an envelope appear in the notification area.

To-do or not to-do

Outlook is much more than a mailbox. If you want to make sure you stay on top of your agenda, get some online training and learn how to utilize your to-do bar to incorporate your calendar. This way, you can focus on your tasks without worrying that you're missing an important appointment.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

It's little surprise that with its newest version of Adobe Flash Pro - part of the recently released CS6 - Adobe has turned the bulk of its attention into focusing the upgrade on improving Flash's ability to create apps and games.

Incorporating the ubiquitous swipe into its interactive content template, for example, and allowing designers the ability to create games at 60 frames per second clearly demonstrate that Adobe is driven to gear Flash towards mobile games and apps.

Another addition in this vein is the inclusion of sprite-sheet generation, which helps ease the process for integrating animation into games.

If Flash's new focus is piquing your interest, it is likely to be a sound investment. With some cs6 training and the new version, you could end up designing the next Angry Birds.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.

For starters, it's interface has been given a face-lift. It has an adjustable slide for brightness as well as a new, darker background. The menus have been slightly updated, giving it a shiny, streamlined feel.

However, surface improvements only go so far - what about the engine? The program's mechanics have also been retooled. The new Adobe Mercury Performance System gives the program some appreciated increases in speed and performance. Coupled with some Adobe training, the upgrade performance could bring your illustrations to the next level.

There are some other helpful new utilities. The pattern creation tool has been improved in terms of smoothly reproducing patterns. The gradient on stroke tool instantly provides depth to a standard two-dimensional drawing by adding realistic shading.

If top of the line Illustration software is what you're after, the newest version of Illustrator - found in Adobe Creative Suite 6 or as a stand-alone - offers improved design and performance and some nifty new tools to help you make digital works of art.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.

Allan Hackney, CIO of John Hancock Financial Services believes that getting a full grasp on the potential of the cloud might be the best way to set yourself apart from your peers.

"You can really distinguish yourself as the cloud expert in your company," he told Computer World.

One way to start to understand the cloud is by taking some online software courses as a way of developing familiarity with different services. Adobe cs6, for example, has a substantial core component that would be a great training ground for nascent cloud explorers.

Right now, there is a cloud computing skills shortage, according to PC Advisor. The lack of IT professionals with a solid understanding of the cloud has forced companies to adapt to it on the fly, losing valuable time in the process.

"People who understand cloud operations and how to deploy cloud solutions are really sought after right now," Greg Pierce, a cloud strategy officer at TriBridge, told the news source.

Due to this shortage, technology companies are scrambling to find suitable candidates - and they are willing to pay dearly for such professionals. Mastering the way software and hardware interact with cloud-based computing could be a great way to take advantage of this dearth, according to Pierce.

Showing a company a successful track record with the cloud can allow you to "write your own ticket," Pierce told the news provider.

It's another great reason to get some adobe cs6 training and aim for the clouds.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

Conveniently, the program keeps fades saved as a separate audio file in the Session folder called Fade Files. From here, it is easy to select the duration and degree of the fade.

Fine-tuning the fade

Once you master these basic mechanics, you can begin to fine-tune the fade to get it exactly as you want it after checking out some online software courses. Do you want it to fade evenly or slowly and then quickly?  Using Pro Tools' collection of preset shapes, you can toggle between them to pick various shapes to fit any fade need.

Once you have a portion that sounds good, use the trim tools to slice it to the perfect length. The Equal Power button can help you ensure consistency throughout the fade in this situation.

If you're feeling confident with these tools, it's a good time to move on to the crossfade.

Exploring the crossfade

A crossfade is essentially two fades coming from opposite directions to replace one sound with another. If you have a decent grasp of fades, creating a crossfade is straightforward. Pick the spot you want with the selector tool and then pick the shape or shapes you'd like. Typically, it is a good idea to have constant output throughout the crossfade to keep the volume of the music stable. One way to achieve this is by using the Equal Gain button to avoid a "bump" at the point of connection.

With these tips and some free software training tutorials, you'll be on the right track to seamlessly combine different musical sections.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

Picking the right photo

Although this process works with almost any photo, some are more easily manipulated than others. If you can, pick a picture that has been minimally edited and is relatively candid. These features will make it simpler to locate similar images for reference, which is the next step.

Finding photos for guidance

It will help to have photos of a person (or a few people) who look roughly similar to the original. A similar images search on Google works nicely. Use the photo(s) you select as a guide for where to focus your edits.

Start at the top

It's easiest to work your way down. For the hair, select the magnetic lasso tool, encircle some of the hair and apply gray and white highlights throughout.

Changing the face

Things get more complicated when you get to the facial features, and some online training might be necessary to get it right. Adjusting the saturation is an easy way to make skin appear more sallow. Using the thinnest brush, you can add wrinkles in key areas: under the eyes, around the mouth and on the chin.

Adding some sag

Sadly, gravity is unkind to our faces in real life, and Photoshop is no different. Using the liquify tool, grab some small areas of the face like the cheeks and jowls.

There's no end to the tinkering you can do. These steps and some online training are all you need to start speeding up the aging process.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.

Upgrade and update

The first thing to do is to ensure you're up to date. If you aren't using the most recent version - currently Windows 7 - make sure to get it. Being behind can mean that you are exposed to newer viruses or security risks.

If you do have the latest version, it's also important to make sure you keep up with current updates. Microsoft regularly releases small patches aimed at improving performance and safety. You can make sure you never fall too far behind by installing automatic updates - which take effect when you restart your computer after each download.

Make use of built-in security features

A few security features go beyond simple updates. The important ones are included in the Actions Center and Control Panel. It's worth the time to visit Windows Firewall and Defender and comb through some of the specific options there to keep Windows exactly as you want it. Free software training tutorials will give you advice on what modifications fit your use best.

Bolster your browser

One of the most common sources of security breaches is through your web browser. Because there are many different browser options, it is important to use online training to determine what your choice offers. Firefox, for example, features several add-ons that are not automatically applied at download.

Use passwords

Some security threats aren't downloaded. In order to better prevent unwanted access to your computer, be sure to set a hard-to-crack password.

With some Microsoft training videos and attention to detail, you can keep Windows safe.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

The first important step is to understand SharePoint. Knowledge of this program will allow you to work on or edit documents directly from your iPad and store them online when you're done. Maintaining an organized portfolio of your documents is integral to getting the most out of your software and tablet.

Next, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with the formatting settings. Switching between devices can make retaining uniform layouts a little tricky, but this will be easy with some Microsoft Office training. By understanding the different ways that your tablet and PC display documents, you will be able to effectively switch smoothly between them.

Finally, if collaboration is crucial to you, a solid understanding of Microsoft Lync will help you a great deal. Accessing Office on your iPad means you can use Lync to work on a shared Office document anywhere you want (as long as you can access an internet connection).  

With these things in mind, accessing Microsoft Office through an iPad can be easy and useful.

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works. 

For a completely personalized experience, start by deciding what exercises you want to focus on and make those the titles of your columns. By labeling the rows with the dates you intend to work out (three times a week, for example) you can easily track your progress by graphing your progress over time.

Microsoft Online also provides several templates featuring themed charts to provide some recommendations on how to craft a chart and help you start exercising right away.

Using Excel's built-in arithmetic and some simple Microsoft Office training, you can get a little more complicated, too. If weight loss is your target, you can input your weight and convert it into useful information like body mass index or body fat percentage.

However you choose to do it, tracking your progress with Excel will help you stay motivated and goal-oriented. 

Total Training is the leader in software training solutions, offering video and interactive instruction on leading software products from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more. Click here to learn more about Total Training and see how it works.