Friday, July 31, 2009

Download a la Mode Series - Productivity

This is part of a multi-part series on Download a la Mode tools, reformatted for a workshop....

Productivity

In this section of Download a la Mode, the following questions are addressed:
  1. How do I share presentations with others via the Web?
  2. At work, I have the latest MS Office. At home, I don't have anything compatible. What do I do?
  3. How do I create web pages using free software?
  4. How do I shorten long web addresses for sharing via email and in print documents or presentations?
  5. How can I draw things, or edit pictures/images, on my computer?
  6. What are some of the free screencasting tools available?
  7. How can I create narrated presentations?
  8. Where can I located hard to find multimedia codecs needed to play videos off the Web?
  9. How do I combine PDF files?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
download_ala_mode_logo_thumbnail.jpg

How to conduct web-based surveys and polls?

Conducting surveys and polls is great. When I need to conduct a survey, I try to use tools that give me control of the survey data (e.g. UCCASS or Moodle’s built-in survey feature). However, sometimes that level of security just is not needed.
The hardest part about surveys is not collecting the data. Rather, it is designing the surveys and then analyzing the data. Although it would be too much to hope for to simplify both ends of the process—the design of the survey and data analysis—what if the latter could be made easier?
Here are 10 alternative online poll/survey sites you can take advantage of, all at no-cost:
and some “new” arrivals that work wonderfully well:

At work, I have the latest MS Office. At home, I don't have anything compatible. What do I do?

If you're not using OpenOffice 3x yet, you should definitely do so! It works great, opens MS Office docx files with ease, prints to PDF, and is a winner on GNU/Linux, Macintosh and Windows platforms! You can also EXTEND OpenOffice with additional add-ons available online at http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/

Benjamin Horst (SolidOffice) shares the following information on his blog about the popularity of OpenOffice v3:

“From the official announcement on Monday 13th October at 09:00 UTC, to midnight on Sunday 20th October, OpenOffice.org 3.0 recorded an astonishing three million downloads via the Bouncer. That’s:
  • 221,230 GNU/Linux users (who might be considered obvious users of the world’s leading open-source office suite)
  • an impressive 320,622 Mac OS X users (enjoying OpenOffice.org with a Mac “look and feel” for the first time), and
  • a staggering 2,449,863 Microsoft Windows users.”

Pretty incredible numbers! The question is, how come school districts persist in paying for MS Office in schools at a cost of approximately $36 - $80 per machine when we could get OpenOffice at no cost? Fear of change or force of habit?

How To Create Web Pages with Free Software

A colleague dropped by and bragged that he’d heard from a student in college. “Yeah, she made an ‘A’ in her project because she could create a web page!” I laughed and said, “Didn’t you teach her using Notepad on Windows?” “You bet, that’s all we had!” he laughed back, his blue eyes open wide. “And one of your people just told me about Kompozer!” Isn’t it amazing how, as budgets are slashed, people are naturally turning to free alternatives on the Web? Now, more than ever, there is an abundance of tools available to work with audio, video, as well as how to create screencasts (useful for giving folks a tour of a certain program on your computer or how to accomplish a specific task)!

KompoZer is a free, open source alternative to expensive HTML editors. While many of us are now embracing blogs and wikis as easy web publishing platforms, there is an occasional need to teach HTML. Tools that are free, open source endure because the programming code is out there for a global community to improve.

How do I shorten long web addresses for sharing via email and in print documents or presentations?

Three nifty tools for shortening those long URLs are available. I like to use SnipURL, TinyURL.com or URLTea.com to get short web addresses that I can email to people or put into publications. But now, there are three I’m aware of. The bad thing with long addresses is that they get shortened—and therefore, won’t work—in some email programs. A short URL eliminates that problem.
Of the three, my favorite is SnipURL since it allows you to “rename” the URL. Instead of a hard to remember character string (1t3r), you can have people go to http://snipurl.com/whatever where “whatever” is what you type in.
Links:

How can I draw things, or create/edit images/pictures, with my computer?

Not being an artist/drawer kind of guy, may I suggest The GIMP, which works for Windows, Macintosh and GNU/Linux computers? You install X11 off your Mac System CDs and you’re set to go. If you’re already familiar with Adobe PhotoShop, then you might consider getting the GIMPshop, which customizes the GIMP to look like PhotoShop.

Although THE GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is my graphics editing program of choice, especially on multiple platforms, Windows users have access to another program known as PAINT.NET. I’m not much into graphics/pictures, but I found the screenshots/images on their web site pretty nifty.
Download PAINT.NET at http://www.getpaint.net/download.html
Pencil is an animation/drawing software for Mac OS X and Windows. It lets you create traditional hand-drawn animation (cartoon) using both bitmap and vector graphics. Get Pencil online at http://www.les-stooges.org/pascal/pencil/

Other Mac programs that might meet your needs—at no cost—in regards to drawing and pixel punting, as well as animation, include Pixen, Seashore, and Pencil.

You can download these applications online at the following web sites:

I’ve been exploring a variety of web-based image editors, including the following:

  1. Block Posters - Upload an image from your computer and choose how many sheets wide you would like your poster to be once printed. Access it online at http://www.blockposters.com/default.aspx
  2. Picnik - With Picnik you can quickly edit all your online photos from one place. It’s the easiest way on the Web to fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, or apply effects to your photos. It lets you pull images from Flickr, yuor computer, from a web site URL, Yahoo or Flickr Search, or a webcam if you have one connected. Access it at http://picnik.com/
  3. Snipshot - Includes basic editing tools like crop, rotate, resize, as well as image adjustments like contrast, brightness, saturation, sharpness and hue. 100% web/browser-based, edit big pictures—up to 10 MB, or 25 megapixels. Access it at http://snipshot.com/
  4. Wikipainting - Enables you to paint images collaboratively. Access it at http://wikipainting.free.fr/mediawiki-1.6.5/index.php?title=Main_Page
  5. ePassPort Photos - Lets you create passport photos. Access it at http://www.epassportphoto.com/
  6. Fauxto - Image editing reminiscent of Paint. It will require a free account sign up (2 seconds to register). Access it at http://www.fauxto.com/
  7. LiTha-Paint - Image editing among other features. Access it at http://litha-paint.com/

What are some of the free screencasting tools available?

Over the last year, I’ve found myself collecting screencasting tools. These tools essentially allow you to record what is going on your computer and then share that with others. When working with screen recording software, it’s easy to end up with a ponderous, slow-moving application. My criteria for on screen recording includes fast-moving, snappy applications, whether that is on Mac or Windows.

Here are three, free, client and/or web-based alternatives you can use without spending a dime:
At the moment, Jing.com continues to win hands-down as the easiest to use and cross-platform. The only caveat is it’s proprietary video encoding format (SWF), which while providing great quality is difficult to embed in traditional slideshow programs or on web pages. uTipU, in contrast, provides encoding in FLV—the same format used on YouTube—but requires the installation of a Windows-only client. Of all the solutions, the beta Screencast-o-Matic was the most intriguing, offering Java-based application that enabled me to record my screen at different resolutions and audio! It worked quite well for recording a simple tutorial or walkthrough on the screen!

How can I create narrated presentations to share on my blog, wiki or Moodle site (or plain web site)?

In a conversation with a central office administrator, the question came up as to how to easily share a slideshow presentation with campus staff. The presentation had to include the speaker’s voice.
I quickly shared 3 tools with the central office administrator, including the following:
  1. VoiceThread.com - This is my favorite, free tool to share. VoiceThread enables your viewers to add audio, video and text of their own. What a fantastic way to recognize the work that is being done, and invite recognition of that work done by your staff by others! When working with campus administrators, be sure to share the VoiceThreads4Education.wikispaces.com web site with them. There are a few examples of administrators at the district and campus level sharing their presentations.
  2. ShowBeyond.com - This is another engaging tool to use, both for yourself or with your students presentations. In addition to uploading slides from a presentation, you can also pull in photos, images, and then narrate them with sound, upload music as a backdrop!
  3. MyPlick.com - This is a wonderful tool that allows you to upload your Powerpoint presentation, then, if you have it, send in audio you have recorded. When working with the presentation, you listen to your audio and advance the slide show at the appropriate moment. When you are done, MyPlick actually remembers and when played by a visitor, plays the audio in sync with your presentation slides. Amazing! (Thanks to Steve Dembo at http://teach42.com for this tip!).
  4. Slideshare.net - This is another slideshow sharing tool that I use with great frequency. You can also add audio to Slideshare so that it works in a similar way to MyPlick.com.
Of the 3 tools, VoiceThread.com is the easiest, but both MyPlick.com and Slideshare.net can be used in different ways. For example, MyPlick.com can be used as a podcasting tool that allows you to upload your presentation and then your separately recorded audio file. Give these tools a try and find the one that best matches your presentation style!

Where can I locate those hard to find multimedia codecs needed to play some videos off the Web?

In working with PBS TeacherLine’s Peer Connection product earlier this school year, I became aware that much of their video content was in RealPlayer format, rather than the more standard FLV popularized by YouTube and other video hosting/sharing sites. Although PBS TeacherLine has since converted their content from RealPlayer to FLV to ensure greater compatibility, the question this raised in my mind sent me on a last minute search for video codecs.

Though I’m not a video expert, I know that video codecs allow me to play certain video formats on my computer. Without the right codec, my computer will not be able to play certain videos. As such, more video codecs is better! Chances are, you may not need to have a variety of video codecs installed on your computer. Often, videos will play just fine on the no-cost, cross-platform VLC Media Player. But, just in case, be aware that you can find a wide variety of video and audio codecs online at http://free-codecs.com .

How do I combine PDF files?

While it is certainly easy to make PDF files on a Mac (or on Windows with PDF Creator) no matter what application you are using, it’s not obvious how to combine multiple PDF files into one document. To accomplish that, you once might have needed Adobe Acrobat Professional. Now, all you need is the freeware PDFLab. or CombinePDF on a Mac. This program…
  • …lets you split and join PDF documents as well as insert images and blank pages. You will also be able to easily create PDF documents out of several images.
Its usage is really simple. You add your files in a list, select the pages you wish to include, order them the way you want and create a new PDF document. Give it a try! You can find it online at http://www.iconus.ch/fabien/pdflab/ .

What? No Windows tool? Use PDFSAM--works on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux--to combine PDF files you create. LifeHacker shares that it allows you to join PDFs together, split them apart and pull out individual pages with pdfsam, an open-source, Java-based cross-platform tool that's a free download.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Notice: Content appearing on this page was originally published by TCEA TechEdge magazine by Miguel Guhlin sharing his work under Creative Commons Copyright (ShareAlike-Attribution-NonCommercial).

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
Posted by at Friday, July 31, 2009 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: ,
Reactions: 

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Apple/AT&T Collective is futile


Source: http://employees.csbsju.edu/rsorensen/modelcitizen/trekships/borg/rendered_borg_sphere.jpg


Ever wonder if K-12 schools, modern businesses are listening to the voices of those they serve? Well, I do as well. Seth Godin made a powerful point in his entry, "All I do is work here." When cogs in the machine of an organization leverage their use of that organization to their benefit, but neglect to take responsibility for what it does wrong, by disassociating themselves from it with the words, "All I do is work here," they play a hypocritical role.

In schools today, as well as businesses, we like to think our focus is on facilitating learning. But in a world of integrated learning systems where drill-n-practice, tutorial software dominates, where rush around like headless chickens trying to meet AYP or whatever the latest craze is that pushes us warp-speed without reason...it sounds like educators are more interested in "delivering" education to students.

Yet, communication technologies are changing how we interact and work with one another. Organizations--like schools and businesses--continue to disregard these, citing children's safety, viewing these as distractions to the REAL work. But wait...isn't the real work to prepare children and their teachers to build a strong vibrant, interdependent community of learners who can creatively solve today's, tomorrow's ill-structured problems?

In one view of the world, perfection is getting your carefully crafted version of reality "out there." You control the message because you control reality. The problem is, the people in your organization can also tweet their version and often, faster than you can craft your original response or message. Limiting the scope of the interaction to the PR person and the journalist, as if they were the only ones who mattered...silly, isn't it?

Consider this advice for "twitter and media relations" as bad advice. Yes, but as a citizen-journalist, I no longer care about the dying news organizations journalists serve. I'm more interested in building relationships with people who will give it to me straight, be authentic, transparent over the long haul. These long term relationships built up over time via tweets, blog entries, provide a livelier impression of the truth...subjective perceptions combine to form objective truth.

  • Using Twitter for Media Relations

    • Twitter...can serve as a powerful platform for learning about journalists’ interests and preferences.
    • Many journalists are open to being pitched through Twitter because it forces PR pros to get to the point quickly – in 140 characters or less
    • It’s easy for PR people to learn what a journalist is interested in writing about if they follow them – and pay attention
    • It’s a bad idea for your first interaction with a journalist to be a direct message (DM) pitch – especially if it’s off-topic
    • The best bet is to show appreciation and acknowledge that you’re following the journalist’s tweets

The focus in this blog entry is obviously on PR people. But when everyone has access to Twitter in an organization, even when that technology is blocked/banned, through their mobile phones, can the organization really hope to limit the scope of the communications possible through draconian, command-and-control approaches?

It is reminiscent of the Apple/AT&T approach to Google Voice. While Wes is kind to Apple in his blog entry--what ADE would not be--let's play it straight. Apple eliminates apps that threaten it's bottom-line. They are as guilty as AT&T, shown below.

As Wes Fryer (SpeedofCreativity.org) points out...
As digital creativity blooms, some corporate leaders striving to cling to historic marketshare appear bent on embracing policies of control rather than empowerment....As a company I’ve observed AT&T seems more interested in packet DELIVERY than digital user empowerment. Perhaps their corporate leaders need to spend some time listening to Clay Shirkey?
Forget Clay Shirky, listen to your customers...listen to me. I'm sending this blog entry out as a tweet to 1500+ folks, and this blog entry will be read countless times.

Are you listening AT&T? More importantly, are K-12 school districts who model their approach after modern businesses listening? It isn't about Good to Great...it's about empowering your people to be great communicators. You can't do that if you're blocking and banning. Time to build relationships, empower communications, and have the community conversations you couldn't have when we lacked communication technologies like we have now.

Embrace the technology for communal change...empower the users and they empower the organization.

In the interests of full disclosure: I typed this on my Macbook and my AT&T phone is right here next to me.
Posted by at Thursday, July 30, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: , ,
Reactions: 

The Boundless Fantasies of Childhood


Source: http://www.callipygia600.com/allpictures/denali/images/sled_dog.jpg

For many years--before I went into administration--I considered myself a good follower. My role as a follower involved doing my best job, allowing the "boss" to take the lead and backing his/her play. It was my expectation that in return for quality work, enthusiastic achievement on behalf of the organization, my supervisor and the organization we worked for would take care of me.

And, for the most part, that arrangement worked, even if I was a bit blind to the reality.

That reality came crashing down on me in my time as a Campus Instructional Specialist on a campus. As one of the first, if not THE first, "campus technology coordinator" and instructional specialist, I dealt with many mundane topics...writing campus improvement plans in collaboration with grade level teachers, providing model teaches as appropriate, mentoring classroom teachers, integrating technology into the content area TEKS, all side by side. I had the respect of my colleagues. In fact, it was a Golden Era. I look back at that time, like many others in my life, and a bit of nostalgia slides down my cheek in the form of a tear drop or two.

Yet, as an instructional specialist, whom my principal sought to groom for administration, I couldn't help but retreat in the face of adults who chose to behave like children. It seemed incomprehensible to imagine teachers, professionals, doing what they should not do...my role was to document that per my principal's directive. And, at the end of the year when the teacher left, forced out by the weight of documentation, I made a hasty decision--I decided to never be a principal.

Now, I'm older, wiser, and that decision does seem ill-conceived. Over the years from that decision point, I have found comfort in being a follower who is a reluctant leader. When all else fails, I would step up from my spot in the traces, like a sled dog promoted when the lead dog is injured.

Over time, I've found leadership to be a wonderful opportunity for personal and professional growth. Working with dedicated teams of vibrant people, often waiting to be unleashed from the "follower mentality," nurtured to become leaders...well, you can't ask for much more than that.

These thoughts were spurred by a recent book I began to read (in fact, a colleague was having a conversation analyzing a situation, and when she discovered I had not read it, immediately ran to get her copy and came back).

I'm struck by these words at the beginning of that book:

...leadership is the prize that ambitious men and women have struggled and even died for...We aspire to their power and its perquisites even as we take unseemly pleasure when one of them stumbles and falls. Indeed, the moment when each of us realizes he or she is mostly a follower, not a leader, is a genuine developmental milestone; who forgets that painful leap over the line of demarcation between the boundless fantasies of childhood and the sober reality of an adulthood in which we will never quite become the god we hoped to be?
Source: Warren Bennis in the Introduction to The Art of Followership
The boundless fantasies of childhood. In many ways, it is Peter Pan's feet sinking into the soil, as if his happy thought had faded away. It is at that moment when you become a leader, when you step on solid ground and seek to build a bridge to that reality you once experienced in your dreams.



Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
Posted by at Thursday, July 30, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: ,
Reactions: 

Bootable Leopard OS X Flash Drive

As I shared before, I needed a bootable Mac OS X Leopard USB Flash drive. Booting up from a DVD takes too long, but an 8gig flash drive works just fine (a 16gig or bigger is nice, too...I'm contemplating a 32gig drive).


Since I had to go through the process for a colleague, I thought I'd document the process, so....the hard part is booting off a DVD and installing the system to your 8gig (or greater) flash drive. It takes a long time. Once that is done, use CarbonCopyCloner (it's free) to make an image of the USB flash drive that you can use as a source. Then, you can start cranking out bootable OS X Leopard drives (provided you're licensed to do that) as needed fHere's the process with screenshots.

In the images below, "catboot" is the original image of the OS X Leopard bootable flash drive. "LeopardBoot" is the new 8gig drive I'm using CCC to copy to.

Step 1: Formatting the 8gig drive


Step 2: Setting up incremental backup/cloning from the image file to the Mac Extended (Journaled) formatted 8gig flash drive


Step 3: Cloning in process


Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
Posted by at Thursday, July 30, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: ,
Reactions: 

Premier Mac RSS Reader--NetNewsWire--Works with Google Reader



What thrilling news to find out that NetNewsWire, the best RSS Reader for Macs, now works with Google Reader!

Here's an excerpt from the press release...there are some action items, so be sure to read the action part further down!

You spoke and we listened: in response to customer demand, NewsGator's best-of-breed consumer RSS applications now work with Google Reader. Google Reader will become the online companion to and the synchronization platform for our award-winning RSS reader applications – FeedDemon and NetNewsWire.

In conjunction with this announcement, NewsGator is making changes to several of its consumer RSS Readers. NewsGator will continue to support all its individual end-user applications for enterprise customers. However, NewsGator will continue to develop and support only a sub-set of these applications for free consumer use. FeedDemon and NetNewsWire have new versions for consumers that we encourage you to download as soon as possible. NewsGator’s other individual end-user applications will not continue to be supported for free consumer users after August 31, 2009. Again, all of NewsGator’s individual end-user applications will continue to be supported for paying Enterprise customers.

As part of this transition, NewsGator Online users will need to migrate to Google Reader by August 31, 2009.

Be sure to take action on the following BEFORE August 31, 2009 if you use FeedDemon for Windows or NetNewsWire for Mac:
  • FeedDemon – you may continue to use your current version (synchronization won’t be supported after August 31, 2009). However, we recommend that you download the latest version of FeedDemon and sign-up for a Google Reader account for synchronization. Please refer to our transition instructions for assistance.
  • NetNewsWire for Mac – you may continue to use your current version (synchronization won’t be supported after August 31, 2009). However, we recommend that you download the latest version of NetNewsWire and sign-up for a Google Reader account for synchronization. Please refer to our transition instructions for assistance.
  • NetNewsWire for iPhone Customers – a mobile RSS Reader requires synchronization and a new version of NetNewsWire for iPhone that supports synchronization with Google Reader will be available soon. We will notify you when it is available so that you can download the latest version of NetNewsWire and sign-up for a Google Reader account prior to August 31, 2009.


    • Image Source: http://ranchero.com/images/nnw3.2AppIcon-512.png

    The instructions are pretty straightforward for using NetNewsWire:

    NetNewsWire

    1. Download the latest version of NetNewsWire
    2. Sign-up for a Google Reader™ account
    3. Associate your Google Reader account with your NetNewsWire product. A step-by-step wizard is provided within the new version of NetNewsWire to assist you with this process.

    Everything works great!



    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Thursday, July 30, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Download a la Mode Series - File Management

    This is part of a multi-part series on Download a la Mode tools, reformatted for a workshop....

    In this section of Download a la Mode, the following questions are addressed:

    1. How can you keep your hard drive running smooth without problems?
    2. How can I easily backup my data off my Windows hard drive?
    3. How do I uninstall a program on my computer so that ALL the preferences and settings are gone?
    4. How do you compress files for transfer?
    5. How can I easily create/combine PDF files for free without Adobe Acrobat Professional ($100+)?
    6. How can I turn turn a USB Flash drive into a diagnostic, repair, and maintenance tool?
    7. What new utilities are out for Windows and Mac to help me organize the mess of files I have on my computer?
    8. How can I quickly install my favorite software programs on my Windows computer?


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    download_ala_mode_logo_thumbnail.jpg

    How can you keep your hard drive running smooth without problems?

    One of the things you can do to keep your computer's hard drive running smooth is to periodically defragment it. Defragging, according to Leo Notenboom, is short for defragmenting which rearranges the layout of files on your hard disk for faster access. He goes on to use one of my favorite analogies for what happens when your computer is in need of defragmenting:

    • Imagine if you had the pages of a book randomly distributed around your house. You know where they are and in what order to read them, but you have to run all over the house as you get each successive page.

    Defragmenting will put all the pages in the "book" back together in their proper order. On Windows computer, there are two programs that can be used at no charge; those programs include:
    1. UltraDefrag - http://ultradefrag.sourceforge.net/overview.html
    2. Defraggler - http://www.defraggler.com/

    Unfortunately, there are no free programs available for Macintosh. This problem does not afflict GNU/Linux operating systems.

    How can I easily backup my data off my Windows hard drive?

    Backing up your computer can be tough work. Although 500 gigabyte USB external drives are now available for purchase, you can still get stuck. I still remember a frantic email from a colleague at 9:00 PM, “How can I backup my hard drive?” At the time, I didn’t have an answer and had to research it.
    Four no-cost solutions you can rely on include the following:
    Each of these solutions includes different features. Some of the ones that are must-haves include automated/scheduled backups, ability to backup to multiple media types (e.g. DVD, multi-session DVD, CD, to an FTP server), and compression of backup files as ZIP files to save space. One feature I look for especially is incremental backup that only saves what has changed, rather than making a complete backup (time-consuming).
    Although Comodo Backup and SyncBack are both excellent choices, Backup Easy presents a neat alternative—it is cross-platform because it runs as a Java application. One final feature to look for is encryption of backup files, in case you’re working with confidential data.

    How do I uninstall a program on my computer so that ALL the preferences and settings are gone?

    When you install a program on your computer, that program inserts itself into a variety of places. Uninstalling that program is not as easy as simply throwing the folder from C:\Program Files into the Recycle Bin on your Windows or throwing the application on your Mac into the Trash Can. Programs leave what are called "preferences" or edits to your computer's registry.

    These can, overtime, cause problems. To successfully remove a program, take advantage of one of the following programs for Windows, or as appropriate, Macintosh. After uninstalling a program, on Windows computers, it might also be necessary to finish the process by optimizing your computer's registry using a program that does just that. In the Windows section of software available, you will find two programs that can help with that.

    Windows

    1. Revo Uninstaller - Some times, you need a program that will completely uninstall a program, including cleaning up your Windows registry. This program accomplishes that and ensures complete removal of a program. Get the portable version online at http://www.revouninstaller.com/
    2. CCleaner - This invaluable tool actually cleans up your computer's registry, and run periodically, keeps your computer running in tip-top shape. Get the portable version online at http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds
    3. PowerTools Lite - Another tool to help clean up your computer's registry. You can this in addition to CCLeaner. Get it online at http://www.macecraft.com/ptlite/

    Macintosh

    1. AppDelete - To use this program, download and install it then drag your unwanted applications on to it and it will be removed. Get it online at http://www.reggieashworth.com/appdelete

    How do you compress files for transfer?

    Sending email attachments is easy, but can cause a lot of trouble for the recipient of your email message. Before you send an email message, contact the recipient and agree on a compression format that you can use. Compression programs work like electronic suitcases that allow you to carry your clothes on long trips. You put your clothes in a suitcase for easy carrying. This is the same reason that compression programs are used. There are several compression formats you can find online.

    The most popular compression format is ZIP. This is an established compression format that is available on Linux, Windows, and Macs. The programs that you use to decompress filename.zip files include (but aren’t limited to):

    The UnArchiveris a cross-platform decompression program for Macintosh that is FREE. The UnArchiver uncompresses all popular compressed and encoded formats including ZIP (.zip). This program’s ease of use and ability to handle many file-types make it a must-have on the Macintosh. For example, double-clicking on a zip file can create a directory and extract all files into it. The program only decompresses files and cannot handle multi-part or encrypted files.

    On Windows, you can use the versatile PEAZip. PEAzip, per their web site, points out the following:

    • PEAzip can extract most of archive formats both from Windows and Unix worlds: currently 87 file extensions are supported ranging from mainstream 7Z, RAR, TAR and ZIP to experimental ones like PAQ/LPAQ family, currently the most powerful compressor available. For archive creation, PeaZip supports a wide range of compression and encryption standard, from fastest to most powerful ones, and allows to export job definition as scripts to bridge the gap between GUI and console applications, and let the user pick the best of the two worlds.

    You can create, as well as decompress, zip files on the Macintosh, GNU/Linux and Windows XP platform using built-in ZIP compression. Simply right click on the file or folder of files you want to compress and take advantage of the SEND TO COMPRESSED (ZIP) FOLDER. Of course, there are a wealth of compression programs.

    You can also create self-extracting, or executable, password-protected archives that don’t require a decompression program to expand. This is useful if you want to give a file to a neophyte who may not know how to handle compressed programs yet, as well as enhance security.

    For Macintosh users, zipping is as simple as a right-mouse click (or Ctrl-Click with a single button mouse). When right-button mouse clicking, click on the file you want to ARCHIVE files to ZIP format.

    How can I easily create/combine PDF files for free without Adobe Acrobat Professional ($100+)?

    “We put our evaluation reports in Acrobat PDF,” shared one grant evaluation company, “because it protects the integrity of our work.” What an eye-opening experience it was for that person to find out differently. Even if you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (about $150), or if an Adobe Acrobat PDF file is passworded, you can bypass its security using PDF Password Recovery software. Even though you may not use PDF files to ensure integrity of your data, there are other benefits.

    Sharing files in Portable Document Format (PDF) is convenient because it allows people to view your work without having to have the original software program. This is especially true if you created a beautiful pamphlet in MS Publisher (available only for Windows) but then wanted to send it to a friend who was using a Macintosh. It is also true when sharing documents with someone who does not have the same fonts you have (e.g. you have Print Shop/Artist installed and they do not).
    You can get a free PDF creator for Windows known as PDF Creator. Although previously a shareware program, it was released as freeware in 2004. To ensure that it is made into freeware, you will need to apply what’s known as a patch. Macintosh users have PDF creation built-in to OS X.

    You can also find a wealth of PDF tools--including converting PDF documents to MS Word format--online at this site:
    http://www.diigo.com/user/mguhlin/pdftools?tab=250

    How can I turn turn a USB Flash drive into a diagnostic, repair, and maintenance tool?

    About two weeks ago, a colleague walked up to me and shared that her laptop's hard drive had become inaccessible. Any way to pull the information off of it? I said, "Yes, definitely!" Using my UbuntuLinux formatted boot USB Flash Drive, I was able to start up her computer, and we pulled all her data off the laptop, saving it to an external USB drive ($60 at Walmart gets you 250gigs these days).

    Here is how to get your own UbuntuLinux boot drive:
    1. Download Ubuntu.iso file - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
    2. Download UNetbootin which will install the .iso file on the thumbdrive http://sourceforge.net/projects/unetbootin
    3. Run UNetbootin
    4. Point the install at the Ubuntu .iso file
    5. Select the USB drive where you want to install.

    I tried this out on an 8gig USB Flash drive (about $20-$25 for the drive) without problem, and a colleague did it on 4gig. Whether it will work on 1gig, I'm not sure.

    A short time ago, I pointed out a reduced price offer on 16-gig lanyard USB flash drive. While a colleague pointed out I could easily buy a 150gig hard drive for $45-$50 more than I paid for the lanyard drive ($41), I didn't want to lug around a big drive (that's the laptop's role right now).
    If you are willing to spend some more money, you can buy a 16-gig USB Flash drive. Mine arrived last week and I had a lot of fun reformatting it, partitioning it (using UbuntuLinux's Partition Editor) into two pieces...about 4.8gigs for UbuntuLinux (9.04) and the rest for data.
    When I used Unetbootin to install Ubuntu, I forgot that all I was doing was setting it up to mimic a CD boot. That's not what I wanted. I wanted to be able to store my information, customize the desktop, install software, etc. To accomplish that, I had to take these steps:
    1. Use a PC and boot off a flash drive (CD would work, too) with Ubuntu 9.04. The hard drive of the PC was not affected or touched at all.
    2. After booting, plug-in my 16gig flash drive, unmount it and then partition it using Ubuntu's Partition Editor.
    3. Install ubuntuLinux to the 4.8 gig partition of my 16gig flash drive
    4. Reformat the remainder (about 10.1 gigs) as FAT32 to make it widely compatible with every OS I use (Mac,Win,UbuntuLinux)
    The process took about 30 minutes on the install and works just fine. I have installed a variety of Windows anti-spyware and anti-virus tools on it that I can run to clean Windows computers I might encounter.
    I'm now able to boot off the 16gig flash drive and have a portable environment of tools I like ready to go. Doing the same isn't hard at all for Mac OS X Leopard...just boot off a CD and install the operating system to the Flash drive (at least 8 gigs required). With more space, I can imagine lots of things one can do.

    What new utilities are out for Windows and Mac to help me organize the mess of files I have on my computer?

    When you work with lots of documents, presentations, sound files, moving folders and files around can be a bit of a pain. I’ve grown accustomed to using some kind of file manager to move things around. If you’re looking for an easy way to manage your files on Windows, Mac and Linux, then you are in for a treat.

    I’ve been working hard to clean up my data files. It’s amazing what you accummulate or duplicate with poor filing. One of the key tools I like to use in filing is a two-window commander type program. Using these tools dates back to my late teens with using computers, so I grew up on computers using all these diferent file managers. If you’ve followed this blog, you may already be familiar with some of my other favorite file management tools. These tools make managing your files a lot easier than wading through stacks of folders on your computer’s desktop. These allow me move files, delete, zip/unzip fairly quickly and without fuss.

    I decided I’d look around for a “Mac Commander” type program, and what do you know, I found one program that works on all 3 platforms, is Java-based, and has a small footprint (you can keep it on a USB flash drive). I’ve already fallen in “love” with it, and I’m excited about using it on other platforms. Try out the free MuCommander!
    Download it at http://www.mucommander.com/

    If you’re a Macintosh user, or an envious Windows user of Mac functionality, you are familiar with iPhoto. iPhoto is an application that gives you a thumbnail view of all the photos on your hard drive and enables easy management and locating. But, what if you are looking to organize not just photos but other types of files, such as the plethora of Adobe PDF files that find their way onto your computer? If you’re a Macintosh user, you can use an iPhoto-type application for managing Adobe PDF files in an easy, graphical interface that sports thumbnails of PDF content. The program is known as YEP and it allows you to centralize your PDF files for simplified management, and enables you to add tags (one word descriptors) to each PDF file. YEP also generates tags for your PDF file thumbnails based on the actual title and contents of the file, which is handy since you do not have to create any yourself if you so choose. While YEP is Macintosh only, though, and while the 1.1 version is free in perpetuity (so it says), the 1.2 version will cost money. So, be warned that if you want to take advantage of this tool, you’ll probably get addicted and have to pay down the road.

    Some people assert that this PDF magic can be done in iTunes, an assertion supported by this tutorial available from Apple, a how to on adding PDFs to playlists. Managing multiple files on your computer can be tough, especially now that we all have increasing access to 120gig USB External drives.

    On the Windows XP side, some folks have given into using Google Desktop, which worries me due to Google’s proclivity for sharing information. Privacy should be a concern for an 21st Century Learners, even if they are, as Wes Fryer describes them, “digital refugees” (as opposed to natives or immigrants). However, there are other programs that aren’t as invasive of one’s privacy. One option is Copernic Desktop Search and a list of all the file types it indexes on Windows is available online. I like Copernic’s privacy statement, which reads:

    > We understand your concerns and CDS was designed with your privacy in mind. Rest assured that the data indexed by CDS stays on your PC and on no account will it be transferred to us or any of our partners. Furthermore, computer activity is never logged. It is solely monitored to enable or disable the indexing process.
    You can find these two free utilities online at:
    1. YEP for Macintosh- http://yepthat.com/
    2. Copernic Desktop Search for Windows- http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/download.html

    Linux users have access to two utilities, one of which is Beagle and available for installation via the usual means on Debian distributions of Linux (sudo apt-get install beagle).

    How can I quickly install my favorite software programs on my Windows computer?

    When setting up a new computer, an activity that can be time-consuming if you’re not working from a recorded image of the hard drive, there comes a time when you want to install useful utilities. On UbuntuLinux, there is a simple program (script) known as “Automatix” that automatically loads all the useful software you need. Forget about going out to download media players, etc. Instead, the automatic program takes care of the work. Is there a program for Windows? The answer is “Yes, it’s InstallPad.”
    The author of     InstallPad describes it in this way:
    • …an innovative new Windows utility called InstallPad automates downloads and software installation. Simply provide InstallPad with your favorite apps’ URLs and it does all the footwork for you - while you spend your time doing something much more interesting.
    Source: http://www.mguhlin.net/archives/2006/11/entry_2248.htm
    Some of the programs that are installed include—but not limited to—Firefox, Adobe Reader, Picasa (image management), GAIM Instant Messaging, Mozilla Thunderbird Email, VLC Media Player, Google Earth, Ad-Aware, Ccleaner, ClamWin AntiVirus, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Spyware Blaster. You can also get Audacity Sound Editor, Democracy TV (Internet TV Player), and others. You may notice that many of these programs are ones that have been featured in previous     Download a la Mode// articles. There are several components, and you will want to download all of the following items that appear online at address shown above. Components include the following:

    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Thursday, July 30, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Wednesday, July 29, 2009

    Translated Into Other Languages

    Earlier this year, I found out some of my work has been translated into another language for publication in Spain! What a thrill! Thanks to Natalia Martinez Diaz, a few of my articles now appear for publication in Spanish online at:The first link above shows you some others who have been translated, including Julien "MoodleMan" Ridden and Angela Maiers. The articles in Spanish include links to their English counterparts, so feel free to click on the Spanish ones and then read the English version.


    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Wednesday, July 29, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Monday, July 27, 2009

    PHPMyAdmin - Importing CSV from Excel

    This afternoon, I had to import a comma-delimited file (CSV) exported from MS Excel into a MySQL database table. I was trying to create an external database that could be accessed by Moodle. Creating the database, the table wasn't a problem; importing the data mashed together via concactenation formulas in MS Excel was.

    Since students in my district don't have Active Directory accounts, like educators do, this new database that Moodle would check would allow students to login with their student ID number and a password. I detail the idea in this MoodleTip but since it's been so long, and I wasn't using PHPMyAdmin at the time, I set out to revisit the concept.

    I was stumped until I ran across this tutorial and then, followed the path...but it didn't work for me. So, note that the screenshot is different from the tutorial.

    Here are the steps I took:

    1) Export the spreadsheet from Excel to a CSV file

    2) Click on the database and then, click on the table you want to import into.

    3) While viewing the table, click on IMPORT tab


    4) Follow the instructions as laid out below:



    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Monday, July 27, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , ,
    Reactions: 

    Moodle Database of Databases

    Fascinating link shared in the Moodle forums about a database of databases. In Moodle, you can create databases for use within your Moodle. Some folks have decided to share their creations and you can get them for your own use at this link.


    Here's the explanation from Stuart Mealor:
    I spent a bit of time looking around for a collection of Database Presets. It took me ages to find the Database of Databases in the exchange area...Here is the link in case others are having problems finding it:
    http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=7303
    Treasure trove of Moodle databases there....

    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Monday, July 27, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: ,
    Reactions: 

    Sunday, July 26, 2009

    MyNotes - Classrooms Go High-Tech to Engage Students - US News and World Report

    Congrats to Dr. Scott McLeod (Dangerously Irrelevant) for being quoted in the article below. It's fascinating to read this perspective, especially when you consider another one that's been floating around on Twitter at Education.Change.org, which is ironic. In that article, a Philosophy professor's letter appears...here's the relevant part:
    I have read and heard arguments that say that, instead of banning phones in classrooms, we should put them to use to engage students and further their learning. I am a philosophy teacher, and I see no practical application for this approach in my classroom, nor do I have any inclination to pursue it. My students read texts, discuss them, and consider philosophical problems; I do everything I can to make our activities stimulating, and I make use of technological aids when appropriate, but can't see how introducing more bells and whistles will bring anything more this process. I can't consider their phones anything but a distraction.
    One person's engaging activity is another's distraction. It all seems so subjective and dependent on your perspective. At the heart of the discussion isn't engagement but the teacher's desire to control ALL conversations occurring. If a professor can control the conversations, this perspective seems to say, then they can ensure students are learning...as if students weren't already distracted by the myriad things going on in their lives. Wouldn't it be better if students had the ability to distract, or engage, themselves about topics of relevance?

    I consider this debate a waste of time, if not interesting in what insights it provides us into teachers, their "best practices," and students...I'm finding myself less eager to play apologist for new technologies, their disruptive influence, and just do my best to unleash them in learning environments. Perhaps, I've been watching too much Star Trek Voyager lately, and Seven of Nine's borg motto has slipped into my thoughts once to many times. Teachers? Students? Technology?

    Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. You WILL ADAPT.

    So go ahead and argue this...in the end, technology will triumph. After all, you're not still using a personal slate in your classroom are you? The technology is changing...change or die (click the link...it's worth reading).



    • Classrooms Go High-Tech to Engage Students - US News and World Report

      • Beth Simon hasn't banned her college students from using their cell phones or the Internet during class.
        Instead, the computer science professor encourages them to text message responses to her questions and research information on the Web while she is lecturing.

      • "How do you use this ubiquitous technology that's out there to change the dynamic of the classroom, to engage the students?

      • fast-paced advancements have destroyed the boundaries of classrooms, said Glenn Platt, professor of interactive media studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

      • Some professors make their lectures available as podcasts, provide live streaming video of classes and maintain discussion boards so students can post questions. They encourage tweeting, blogging and chatting online with other students.

      • Schools are catching on. Scott McLeod,

      • has a backchannel, an online secondary conversation, where students can share information, ask questions, such as 'What did he just say?' and chat about a concept while he is teaching it.

      • Professors are not so much people who stand and spout facts with students taking notes, said Platt

      • And students aren't going to come to class for a lecture if it's on a podcast.

      • He puts together mini-podcasts to explain confusing concepts and encourages students to ask questions on their Twitter page to get instant answers from their peers.

      • Professors are also using student response systems to gauge how well students grasp a lesson. The systems allow students to answer questions using a clicker, which looks like a television remote, and the results are immediately recorded on the teacher's computer screen.

      • students seem to be embracing the interactive learning environment, so long as they can maintain one-on-one communication with their professors.

      • Technology is not going to go away, McLeod said. "Everything is going mobile, so this idea that we can control students' access to technology is disappearing,"

    Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
    Posted by at Sunday, July 26, 2009 1 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , ,
    Reactions: 

    Gaming: Urban Terror



    A new game I'm taken with...Urban Terror. Great graphics, works on Linux, Mac and Windows.

    Urban Terror™ is a free multiplayer first person shooter, that (thanks to ioquake3) does not require Quake III Arena. It is available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. The current version is 4.1. Urban Terror can be described as a Hollywood tactical shooter; somewhat realism based, but the motto is "fun over realism". This results in a very unique, enjoyable and addictive game.
    Source: Urban Terror
    Unique features of the game:
    • Ledge-grabbing. This feature allows a player to jump and grab a ledge in order to pull themselves up. Since then we have added wall jumping and power slding to give the gamer more of an edge.
    • Stamina. in-game medics allow a gamer to be healed up, prevent lose of health and increasing their stamina.
    • Level variety. There have been many levels created and supported by Urban Terror over the years, including a Capture the Flag and Bomb/Defuse mode that go along with Team Survivor. Some of the more popular levels include Casa, Turnpike, Abbey, Docks, Uptown, Riyadh, Rommel and Village. Over the years many of these "classic" levels have been updated, some in order to support new game modes or to fix problem areas and create new texture sets for them.
    • SWAT vs Red Dragons. introduction of a new "theme" after floating in the sea of identity crisis since its inception. Gone are military and Cold War theme and in come the Red Dragons vs SWAT. The "bad guys" are known as the Red Dragons, complete with orange prison jumpsuits with their biker chicks dressed in hot, bright leather duds. SWAT really needs no introduction, the best of the best when it comes a quick response, tactical assault team. SWAT pursues the Red Dragons through many unique scenarios (see levels) in hopes of bring them to justice.
    • Weapons. Great selection of weapons available, including 3 that you carry around after making selections at the start of each game. Very nicely implemented.
    Downloads:
    Posted by at Sunday, July 26, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Getting Ready for Download a la Mode Workshop


    Although I have grand plans for my Download a la Mode workshop coming up in August, one of the options I can present now is that it would be great to give people a flash drive with a bootable UbuntuLinux that includes anti-virus and anti-spyware tools on it. This would allow users to boot from the Flash drive, then "clean" their computers off.

    To that end, I've researched some of the antivirus programs that will run on UbuntuLinux, such as Avast AntiVirus (home/personal use, not commercial) and/or ClamAV (FOSS). Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble getting the Windows based anti-spyware tools to work--like Malware Bytes--but SuperAntiSpyware and Spybot Search and Destroy did install and worked fine. That should be enough to get started.

    Perhaps, it would be more helpful to create a bootable Windows flash drive and install programs on there that can access the target hard drive. Considering these two approaches:

    1. UBCD for Windows
    2. Creating a boot USB Flash Drive for Windows
    Whether this gets done or not in time for the workshop, well, not sure.

    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Sunday, July 26, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Saturday, July 25, 2009

    MyNotes - Oh no! Microsoft | The TWAIN blog

    Don't bother going to Windows 7...just install UbuntuLinux 9.04!

    • Oh no! Microsoft | The TWAIN blog

      • I just read the news that if you are planning to install Microsoft 7 on an XP computer, you have to migrate all your files off because it is a complete reinstall. In other words, EVERY computer you install it on will lose the files and folders (organization) you had on the computer.
        However, if you are running Vista the files will stay intact. It is an upgrade.
    Posted by at Saturday, July 25, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: ,
    Reactions: 

    16gig Flash Drive

    A short time ago, I pointed out a reduced price offer on 16-gig lanyard USB flash drive. While a colleague pointed out I could easily buy a 150gig hard drive for $45-$50 more than I paid for the lanyard drive ($41), I didn't want to lug around a big drive (that's the laptop's role right now).

    My 16-gig drive arrived last week and I had a lot of fun reformatting it, partitioning it (using UbuntuLinux's Partition Editor) into two pieces...about 4.8gigs for UbuntuLinux (9.04) and the rest for data.

    When I used Unetbootin to install Ubuntu, I forgot that all I was doing was setting it up to mimic a CD boot. That's not what I wanted. I wanted to be able to store my information, customize the desktop, install software, etc. To accomplish that, I had to take these steps:

    1. Use a PC and boot off a flash drive (CD would work, too) with Ubuntu 9.04. The hard drive of the PC was not affected or touched at all.
    2. After booting, plug-in my 16gig flash drive, unmount it and then partition it using Ubuntu's Partition Editor.
    3. Install ubuntuLinux to the 4.8 gig partition of my 16gig flash drive
    4. Reformat the remainder (about 10.1 gigs) as FAT32 to make it widely compatible with every OS I use (Mac,Win,UbuntuLinux)
    The process took about 30 minutes on the install and works just fine. I haven't gotten around to customizing it but hope to do that.

    I'm now able to boot off the 16gig flash drive and have a portable environment of tools I like ready to go. Doing the same isn't hard at all for Mac OS X Leopard...just boot off a CD and install the operating system to the Flash drive (at least 8 gigs required). With more space, I can imagine lots of things one can do.

    ;->


    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Saturday, July 25, 2009 1 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , ,
    Reactions: 

    Portable Collaboration Networks on the Flash

    Catching up on my million articles in the RSS reader--all from Stephen Downes, sigh--I was struck by the juxtaposition of Helen Barrett's highlighting of electronic portfolios image (created by Sonia Guilana) below:

    ...and the idea of EduApps. EduApps is described on the web site as:

    EduApps is an initiative developed by the JISC Regional Support Centre Scotland North & East and expands on the already very successful AccessApps. EduApps extends the AccessApps philosophy of free portable software in your pocket to include bundles of applications specifically designed for teachers 'TeachApps' and learners 'LearnApps'. Currently we host over 90 open source and freeware software applications which can be entirely used from a USB stick on a Windows computer.

    I find the juxtaposition curious because as we move towards the Read/Write Web (a.k.a. Web 2.0), the power of folks to build their own personal learning networks using free tools "out there," something my colleague Dan Rezac is particularly thrilled about, the thought of running apps off a USB flash drive is...funny.

    I see that the cloud is a flattener for education in many ways. I believe that all students, poor or rich, deserve the same quality of education and deserve to use the same tools. The playing field should be level. The most promising sign of this level playing field is in the offerings of the cloud: Google Apps for Ed, drop.io, schooltube.com, edu20.org, wikipedia.org- all of these online apps and tools are free (right now, anyway). Take into account the netbook and in a very, very short time- technology education will be more accessible to everyone, granted there are qualified teachers to shape it.
    Source: Dan Rezac

    Will digital equity be ensured if we all have access to EduApps or some version of that? Will we be expected to maintain our digital portfolios on our handy flash drives or just keep them "out there?" What will the flash drive of tomorrow be? Will it be my mobile handheld internet device that can be hooked up to a digital projector and syncs any computer I work with to create MY virtual environment?

    In a world where Internet access is restricted--that's K-12 schools--USB flash drives are needed so we can boot and escape the strictures imposed by all-knowing network gods, legislatures, etc. Is this perspective a valid one?

    I don't know, but that's the point, isn't it? On the one hand, I have an infinite digital portfolio online of my work (http://mguhlin.net) and I also carry around a flash drive with my most needful content (encrypted, of course). Sometimes, I have full access and sometimes I don't. Either way, I'm prepared.

    But is it enough that I'm prepared? The process of bringing others on board is arduous...and my motivations are not their's. How can I help them better see the need for ubiquitous access to Read/Write, communication/collaboration tools?

    Instead of PLNs, is it PCNs? And could Portable Collaboration Networks really be encapsulated, based on USB Flash drives in real ways?


    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Saturday, July 25, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: ,
    Reactions: 

    Converting Video Formats


    Image Source: http://avidemux.razorbyte.com.au/avidemux_main.png

    Although there are a wealth of tools to convert video, few that work with large file sizes are available at no charge. As such, in addition to Format Factory (available for Windows), I was delighted to add these two items:

    ...VideoSpiritLite and saw that it could convert from and to any of these formats, VCD / SVCD / DVD / MPEG / AVI / DivX/ASF / WMV/DAT / SWF / FLV / 3GP / RM / MP4 / MOV, I was pretty happy and I hadn’t even downloaded the application yet. While I started downloading the LITE version that is free from here I read through its features and it does some really neat stuff, other than converting, like extracting audio or still pictures from video. They do have a PRO version that costs money the only difference between the two products is the ability to edit the videos...You will see an info box when the application starts, prompting you to check that you have each of these three codec packs installed. They are K-lite which I wrote about here, Real Alternative and Quick Time. With these three codec packs you can convert to and from any of the above formats for free!
    Source: MakeUseOf.com
    So, VideoSpiritLite appears to be an app that could meet people's needs! However, in the comments someone asks a question that I haven't encountered and feel worth noting here:
    I’m looking for a video converter that supports .mkv format. Any ideas?
    One response suggests...
    To convert MKV, get AviDemux. It is an open-source app, and being actively developed. It supports many great codecs and formats. Get it here:
    http://avidemux.razorbyte.com.au/
    Visit the web site, and you find out that....
    Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities.Below are milestone and SVN builds for Microsoft Windows. Avidemux is also available for Linux, BSD and Mac OS X.
    Since I'm running Mac OS X Leopard at the moment of blog entry creation (smile), I thought I'd explore the Mac version of this tool. I've explored the use of Avidemux on GNU/Linux before, though, but hadn't tried it on Mac yet. My experience hasn't been entirely positive...and there's a real need for a Mac video conversion utility since iSquint and VisualHub were discontinued.

    Unfortunately, after download, the program didn't work. C'est la vie.

    Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org


    Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
    Posted by at Saturday, July 25, 2009 0 comments Links to this post
    Labels: , , , ,
    Reactions: 
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

    Subscribe via email

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner