While in grad school, I was introduced to a little handy-dandy piece of technology created by the my favorite Internet behemoth known as Google.... In this case this particular app was Google Wave
What it actually did was allow you to set up invites to individuals to a chat that would perpetually continue on as long as the individuals continue to add their comments and content to it.. Essentially those individuals would be able to go back to the beginning of the conversation and catch up if they weren't part of the conversation when it initially started. As long as they were invited and part of the conversation, they can continue to go back to information that was inserted into the conversation thread at any time.
For an online curriculum where most of your collaboration is remotely done by individuals across the country, an app like that is a no-brainer and becomes indispensable when you're doing team projects. But like most technological tools and resources, sometimes the shelf-life is brief.. And regardless of what people who use it think of it, it is sometimes gone to soon.
Since this was very very helpful to me and I saw future applications for this, I was very disappointed when it was retired... And have been doing a little side research ever sense to try a suitable replacement. Not sure if I found a replacement for all of the things that it does but I found a good runner-up in GroupMe.
The most important feature about GroupMe is the most important thing that I wanted anything replacing Google Wave to do: allow people to be invited to a conversation that would allow you to archive the discussion for the reference so that anyone joining the group to be have the benefit of reading and access the previous conversation at their convenience. Anyone in a business or in a collaborative team environment can see the benefit of this one.
Presently this app is available on the Internet as a mobile app interface. (Since I did a Screen cast and uploaded it to YouTube for one of my groups already existing conversations... I just found out that you can insert a URL of a video to into the conversation with the functionality intact so everyone that actually is part of that conversation currently has the benefit of being able to play the video right in the thread.
I have yet to seen any technical concerns or any security based concerns that raise a red flag for me at present; but given the nature of the Internet and how most things are not super secure on a heavily traveled highway such a cyberspace.. I wouldn't advocate discussing esoteric or sensitive information in this form anyway. I will update on any concerns that I have in the future as they become apparent, but for the time being this is a app that is in heavily heavy rotation for me and one I would feel comfortable endorsing as a technical resource.
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Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Life in the DashLane
I admit it.
....I think I'm getting a lot older
...or absent-minded
.....or lazy (I actually forget which)
Anyhoo, In the grand scheme of things, I have kind of come to the conclusion that either I'm just trying to do a bit too much, or trying to remember too much of it at one time. That's why I am very very grateful for the Dashlane app.
Admittedly the free version works just fine for me, and probably would for the average person's usage. but I wanted the paid one because I wanted to be able to have the access to the functionality across all of my devices.... Now honestly I can't say that I'm getting as much bang for my buck using it on my iPhone. or my iPad- perhaps I have not configured them properly; (I would accept the blame if that be the case) but I am a bit of a traditionalist with my workflow. I do much of my serious work from my laptop or a desktop and the access to my accounts via my "phone and Pad" is simply for my convenience and ability to work, to a certain degree, anywhere (I may someday live to regret this working style)
Even with that being said, I'm still very pleased with the results of the app on my laptop. If I don't get any results on my iPad and my iPhone soon however, I'm going back to the free version - "hint hint" Dashlane) but overall I really can't complain very much about the program.
To be frank, I am all over the web and in many cases, in places that I really don't frequent enough to even have a profile; but if the urge hits me to go to a specific spot, I want to get into the account without having to dig up an antiquated password I don't remember setting. This is where Dashlane comes in so very handy. One master password will allow me access to all of the passwords that are configured on my computer and then I will be able to go into any account using it. I can also allow the app to automatically log me in. It will also auto fill any basic information you configure into your account whenever you come across a form online at the computer or mobile device you have the program on.
Essentially I click on a field for a login username and password and if I have a profile on that account it will allow me instant access and if I've configured it as such, it will just log me into the account fairly easily and quickly like most apps and programs that retain passwords, it does have a tendency to make you lazy but let's be honest if you spend enough time on the Internet you're going to stockpile passwords and it gets cumbersome frustrating and a bit annoying especially when you lose one...
For those accounts I alluded to earlier that I barely use but want to keep, Dashlane will randomly set up an alphanumeric password for that account when you set it up. Since I already mentioned the arduous task of remembering the scores of passwords I have, this is a handy little solution for accounts you keep but already don't remember the password because you don't really frequent them.
You can view, update, and delete passwords. If you are feeling lucky, you can turn it off and exercise your brain to retain that information and surf the old fashioned way.
I have been using it on a Macbook, on the the Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome browsers just fine, though I will note that as I update Firefox plug-ins it doesn't not always initially play nice with Dashlane. I have noticed that that problem has subsided, but it is something to be aware of. I do however mention that I cannot address how well it works on a PC; if it does at all.
I'm quite aware that there maybe other programs that do the same thing just as good if not better but let's be honest; I don't have the time or the money to research out every single one when I essentially want the ability to log into my accounts securely without having to remember each password every time, and Dashlane has done just that.
Presently I like what it does for me based on my workflow. I don't have any major qualms with it. The jury is still out on how it works with my other devices and whether I will retain the paid version vs the free. In all honestly the best use I am getting from it is on my Macbook anyway.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
....I think I'm getting a lot older
...or absent-minded
.....or lazy (I actually forget which)
Anyhoo, In the grand scheme of things, I have kind of come to the conclusion that either I'm just trying to do a bit too much, or trying to remember too much of it at one time. That's why I am very very grateful for the Dashlane app.
Admittedly the free version works just fine for me, and probably would for the average person's usage. but I wanted the paid one because I wanted to be able to have the access to the functionality across all of my devices.... Now honestly I can't say that I'm getting as much bang for my buck using it on my iPhone. or my iPad- perhaps I have not configured them properly; (I would accept the blame if that be the case) but I am a bit of a traditionalist with my workflow. I do much of my serious work from my laptop or a desktop and the access to my accounts via my "phone and Pad" is simply for my convenience and ability to work, to a certain degree, anywhere (I may someday live to regret this working style)
Even with that being said, I'm still very pleased with the results of the app on my laptop. If I don't get any results on my iPad and my iPhone soon however, I'm going back to the free version - "hint hint" Dashlane) but overall I really can't complain very much about the program.
To be frank, I am all over the web and in many cases, in places that I really don't frequent enough to even have a profile; but if the urge hits me to go to a specific spot, I want to get into the account without having to dig up an antiquated password I don't remember setting. This is where Dashlane comes in so very handy. One master password will allow me access to all of the passwords that are configured on my computer and then I will be able to go into any account using it. I can also allow the app to automatically log me in. It will also auto fill any basic information you configure into your account whenever you come across a form online at the computer or mobile device you have the program on.
Essentially I click on a field for a login username and password and if I have a profile on that account it will allow me instant access and if I've configured it as such, it will just log me into the account fairly easily and quickly like most apps and programs that retain passwords, it does have a tendency to make you lazy but let's be honest if you spend enough time on the Internet you're going to stockpile passwords and it gets cumbersome frustrating and a bit annoying especially when you lose one...
For those accounts I alluded to earlier that I barely use but want to keep, Dashlane will randomly set up an alphanumeric password for that account when you set it up. Since I already mentioned the arduous task of remembering the scores of passwords I have, this is a handy little solution for accounts you keep but already don't remember the password because you don't really frequent them.
You can view, update, and delete passwords. If you are feeling lucky, you can turn it off and exercise your brain to retain that information and surf the old fashioned way.
I have been using it on a Macbook, on the the Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome browsers just fine, though I will note that as I update Firefox plug-ins it doesn't not always initially play nice with Dashlane. I have noticed that that problem has subsided, but it is something to be aware of. I do however mention that I cannot address how well it works on a PC; if it does at all.
I'm quite aware that there maybe other programs that do the same thing just as good if not better but let's be honest; I don't have the time or the money to research out every single one when I essentially want the ability to log into my accounts securely without having to remember each password every time, and Dashlane has done just that.
Presently I like what it does for me based on my workflow. I don't have any major qualms with it. The jury is still out on how it works with my other devices and whether I will retain the paid version vs the free. In all honestly the best use I am getting from it is on my Macbook anyway.
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Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Get it done, "Hoot Suite"
Admittedly the only reason I even took up utilizing the HootSuite platform was because of Everyday Intellect. I was already maintaining the social media platforms for two different organizations and the countless profiles that I have on the Internet for some reason or another. Many of them I like enough to continue to utilize, post and interact with people on, but I just never got around to it and I just got tired of having to log into each and everyone of them to post content and update information.
When considering this challenge from that standpoint, this is very similar to the DashLane app that I spoke of in a previous post. But this app is specifically for those social media individuals who post content across various platforms (i.e. Google plus Facebook LinkedIn twitter etc.) And will allow you to post content on multiple platforms within the touch of a few keystrokes.
The free platform allows you to post across five social media platforms, which in my case barely scratches the surface of all of the different places that I've left my digital fingerprint on. Plus I have fancied myself in the last year or two a up-and-coming social media maven so I needed someplace where I could really put multiple platforms on and post expediently and in multiple places, which is why this became a no-brainer very quickly.
Another feature that seems very useful (though I have not had a chance to use it) is a scheduling feature this will allow you to set up multiple posts for those really organized social media professionals that have an idea of what they want to say on which day, at which time and schedule those posts to shoot off at corresponding with that time line. Again I haven't had a chance to really use it but I thought it was very cool and as I get further into social media for the National GuideRight, Everyday Intellect, and First Church Hopewell's Social Media Ministry, I will probably get more into that. Ironically enough the chairperson the Social Ministry members of First Church's social media ministry have also endorsed HootSuite, which pushed it right back up in the forefront of my mind when I was already debating on whether or not to expand spend the money on the professional version.
As with most of these functions I have barely scratched the surface and it does much more than I've actually tasked it to do at this point...so as with everything else on this particular blog it's not necessarily an endorsement per se, just an overview of another piece of tech that I'm using on a regular basis, what it does and what I think of it.
Fairly cool.
JCIII
_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
When considering this challenge from that standpoint, this is very similar to the DashLane app that I spoke of in a previous post. But this app is specifically for those social media individuals who post content across various platforms (i.e. Google plus Facebook LinkedIn twitter etc.) And will allow you to post content on multiple platforms within the touch of a few keystrokes.
The free platform allows you to post across five social media platforms, which in my case barely scratches the surface of all of the different places that I've left my digital fingerprint on. Plus I have fancied myself in the last year or two a up-and-coming social media maven so I needed someplace where I could really put multiple platforms on and post expediently and in multiple places, which is why this became a no-brainer very quickly.
Another feature that seems very useful (though I have not had a chance to use it) is a scheduling feature this will allow you to set up multiple posts for those really organized social media professionals that have an idea of what they want to say on which day, at which time and schedule those posts to shoot off at corresponding with that time line. Again I haven't had a chance to really use it but I thought it was very cool and as I get further into social media for the National GuideRight, Everyday Intellect, and First Church Hopewell's Social Media Ministry, I will probably get more into that. Ironically enough the chairperson the Social Ministry members of First Church's social media ministry have also endorsed HootSuite, which pushed it right back up in the forefront of my mind when I was already debating on whether or not to expand spend the money on the professional version.
As with most of these functions I have barely scratched the surface and it does much more than I've actually tasked it to do at this point...so as with everything else on this particular blog it's not necessarily an endorsement per se, just an overview of another piece of tech that I'm using on a regular basis, what it does and what I think of it.
Fairly cool.
JCIII
_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Telestream knows my (Screen)Flow
Barring the Macbook Pro itself, If I was to pinpoint one technology that gets the most mileage from me post my grad studies at Full Sail, I would say Screen Flow.... hands down.
Not that the Adobe Creative Suite isn't very cool... Not that all of the open source technology I've been exposed to and love to use.....not another third thing screen whose name escapes me at the moment.....
Nope, this handy powerful...affordable program is my fav.
Knowing my learning style the way I do now, I think that can say that that's one of the reasons why I became so and enamored with ScreenFlow as I have. I am a visual learner. I learn by seeing and doing. and if I'm not doing, I need to see it done to facilitate further instruction on how to do it. This is why I have found this so much fun and useful. It allows me to create screen captured videocasts to learners much like me and at the same time it does inject a creative aspect to teaching learning and demonstrating of different subject matter, which, for a Graphic Designer really ramps up the enthusiasm level.
Though the effects added to the videos are not super sophisticated (I don't think that would be appropriate for the presentations this creates anyway), your typical editing tools are present and accounted for: adding audio, inserting images, text cutting clips, shortening and extending clips, still images;
For all the power that is available in this program I notice the use of it to be very intuitive unless of course you're not really computer savvy in the first place.
I have found myself utilizing this program regularly the entire time I've had it on my computer. I've walked my mother through a tutorial of Skype, one of my members of my church's Media ministry through Twitter. I have taken screencasts for meetings for organizations I am part of and on more than one occasion, have put together the instructional demonstrations for the IT ministry of my church.... I've gotten so much mileage out of it every time there's an upgrade, I jump on it without thinking, as an investment on future design, presentation and instructional technology based endeavors.
Reference:
http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm
_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
Not that the Adobe Creative Suite isn't very cool... Not that all of the open source technology I've been exposed to and love to use.....not another third thing screen whose name escapes me at the moment.....
Nope, this handy powerful...affordable program is my fav.
Knowing my learning style the way I do now, I think that can say that that's one of the reasons why I became so and enamored with ScreenFlow as I have. I am a visual learner. I learn by seeing and doing. and if I'm not doing, I need to see it done to facilitate further instruction on how to do it. This is why I have found this so much fun and useful. It allows me to create screen captured videocasts to learners much like me and at the same time it does inject a creative aspect to teaching learning and demonstrating of different subject matter, which, for a Graphic Designer really ramps up the enthusiasm level.
Though the effects added to the videos are not super sophisticated (I don't think that would be appropriate for the presentations this creates anyway), your typical editing tools are present and accounted for: adding audio, inserting images, text cutting clips, shortening and extending clips, still images;
For all the power that is available in this program I notice the use of it to be very intuitive unless of course you're not really computer savvy in the first place.
I have found myself utilizing this program regularly the entire time I've had it on my computer. I've walked my mother through a tutorial of Skype, one of my members of my church's Media ministry through Twitter. I have taken screencasts for meetings for organizations I am part of and on more than one occasion, have put together the instructional demonstrations for the IT ministry of my church.... I've gotten so much mileage out of it every time there's an upgrade, I jump on it without thinking, as an investment on future design, presentation and instructional technology based endeavors.
Reference:
http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm
_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Dictated AND Read..by a MAC.
I admit it, I spent a lot of time running my mouth but not a whole lot of time learning to effectively type. I know Mrs. Hennings is very very disappointed in me, but it is what it is.
I'm 42 years old in front of a keyboard all the time and probably not going to go back to Mavis Beacon to really learn how to type (at least not anytime soon) so what did I do?...... become a hunt and peck extraordinaire!
Ironically enough, this is a very old technique and it's probably the reason I actually had a case of carpal tunnel not too long ago...
However, there is another aspect of this that wasn't quite effectively explored and that's the fact that traditionally my brain tends to move a whole lot faster than my fingers ever could so my thoughts come to me and I can't really keep up, so since I can't type (at least not as well as I should to have spent so much time over the years in front of the keyboard) – I learned to effectively utilize dictation software.
The part that makes me feel really "brilliant" is the fact that I've had this software on this laptop the entire time it's been in my possession and I was at the two-year mark of ownership before I actually utilized on a regular basis. needless to say I felt very very stupid.. The good news is it reignited my desire to blog (whenever I sit still long enough to compose a coherent thought); and it also streamlines my process of putting together projects... In the case of my ScreenFlow videos, it makes me sound a whole lot more coherent, intelligent and dare I say it..."educated"
I guess if I get a desktop I may try out the Dragon software but as it stands I have too much stuff on my laptop now that I'm not really using that brings forth to twirling ball of death when I try and process... (an inside joke for Mac users)
Admittedly, this software is not perfect and when I get into a groove, I have to stop every so often because I can't talk and elaborate on long, lengthy thought processes before I have to stop and try it one more time, because of how my style of talking sounds, but since I'm not a really big blogger, I don't write like my wife does... And as I said before, I do tend to think a lot faster than I type, dictate or write...
It does get the job done and without the price tag of any more software that would slow down an already slow computer...
I'm satisfied.... For now.
Well done Mac.
Reference
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5449
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Disclaimer: The endorsement in this Blog is based on my personal experiences and the discussed technology’s effectiveness for the project at hand. It is not to be used as a professional product testing evaluation..Your results may vary based on your use.
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