Personal Technology Tips in Plain English
The Web
How To Download YouTube Videos
Mar 6th
Sometimes you need a video clip that’s available online for offline use – like using it as an example for a class or workshop.
Other times, you may want to be able to play it offline for your own review at a later time when it’s more convenient for you, or when you know you won’ t have internet access (like on a plane).
There’s definitely a bunch of sites available now that let you download videos from YouTube and other video sharing sites out there.
Usually all you have to do is copy/paste the video page URL from Youtube, MetaCafe or other video site into the form on the video download site and you’re all set to go.
But once in awhile, your favorite Youtube video grabber site can’t download the video file. That’s when you have to go looking for other options.
Other than Kisstube and Vixy, I found another favorite that seems to work for me . . .
SaveVid.com works just the same. This site does give a couple of download options including flv format, mp4 as well as HD video which YouTube presents sometimes.
SaveVid.com also shares some of the videos that others have used the site to download so you can get a sense of what people are watching and downloading.
Do you have any other favorite sites to download videos from online video platforms? Please add them in the comments below.
Full Screen Countdown Timer
Mar 3rd
Today, we have an event where several groups will be going back to back giving presentations.
Time is of essence, so we’ll have to tend the clock closely. The question is how to do it so that each presenter can be aware of it and not get the gag-music as they do at the Oscars.
We won’t have or need the music cue, but a countdown timer would be nice so they are not caught off guard.
Here’s a neat web-based countdown (or count up) timer that is also able to go full screen. So all we need is a laptop in the room and we should all be ok.
The site is clean and intuitive for both counting up (stop watch function) and counting down. Below is a walk-through of the simple steps to getting it to work. . .
The max is 99 HOURS of counting down. That’s a couple of days worth of waiting! But for our own use, we set it for a 7 minute countdown. . . Read the rest of this entry »
Look Ma, No Hands! Part II: How To Search Google Without Typing or Saying a Thing
Feb 27th
Google search is one of my favorite resources for me while I’m on the road. Personally I love being able to look things up via text message on the fly — faster than 411 can deliver results.
Sometimes I’ll use Google via my mobile browser on my phone.
But there’s a new mobile search app which Google has released to the Android phone platform which takes mobile search to a whole another level.
They already have the ability to take any voice recording and integrate it into their searches. It is a matter of time before voice search becomes widely available to mobile phones.
But in the meantime, wherever you may be, you are now a SNAP, not a click, away from search results.
Here’s how . . .
Quickest Way To Look Up Movie Listings
Feb 19th
School’s out!
Winter break is here for the kids!
A whole week or two off to fill the kids’ schedules with fun stuff to do if you’re not going away on vacation.
A trip to the movie theater is in order since there are a couple of blockbuster movies that just came out and they pass the litmus test for child-appropriate as well.
Here’s a tip to find out which movies are playing now in your area:
Google has a search built just for movie theaters and listings. You can search by zip code, but movie, or by theater. There are links to reviews as well as listings for future dates so you can plan your movie nights out this weekend.
Just go to http://www.google.com/movies and type in your zip code to start your search!
A Buzz Which Can’t Be Ignored
Feb 10th
Logged into my Gmail account today (which I do rarely since I manage my Gmail email account through pop access both on my Windows Mobile phone and with Outlook on my laptop) and was pleasantly greeted with this:
It’s Google’s latest push back regarding social media is now integrated into Gmail: Google Buzz.
And of course nothing is buzz worthy if you can’t use your cell phone to pass stuff along:
The big question is if Google Buzz will become a turbo booster for Gmail or will it become another Orkut or Wave?
Google’s Secret Switch For Secret IM Chatting with Gmail Gtalk
Dec 29th
Most instant messaging is for short, *instant* contact with others online. You’re not out to create eloquent dialogue nor really keep memories of your im chats with your friends or co-workers.
But when you’re chatting in Gmail with Gtalk, did you know that by default all your chats are saved in your gmail account — AND in the account of your instant messaging chat partner?
You may not want all your informal casual chat content to be saved (and used for whatever reason!) forever on the other side.
Well, Gmail’s IM Gtalk has a relatively unknown feature that STOPS recording everything you type in your IM chats. It won’t save your chats and more importantly, your entire chat transcripts won’t be saved in your friend’s gmail account either.
Basically you are taking your IM chats off the grid — like it used to be when you used AIM, Y! Messenger, etc.
Here’s a quick video on how to turn off the chat transcript recording feature in Gmail Gtalk — on a per-person/per-chat basis or by default for all your chats going forward:
Now you can zip those instant messages back and forth without worry about where they’ll pop up later somewhere without you knowing about it.
How To Bulk Submit To Social Bookmarking Sites
Oct 26th
Social media is all the rage these days.
Anyone with a website knows they should be submitting their website pages to the various social bookmarking sites to gain better visibility on the web.
But we’re also talking about a time consuming task to do the repetitive submissions to the top social bookmarking sites like: Digg.com, Propeller, Delicious, Reddit.com, Stumbleupon, Technorati, Mixx, Twitter, Furl.net, etc.
There are completely automated tools that submit in bulk, but sometimes they can be seen as spam. The next best thing to manual hand submissions one at a time is to use a semi-automated tool. . .
SocialPoster.com allows you to set-up the basics first and then go through various filtered lists of social bookmarking sites and quick-click-thru to the posting page with the main data pre-populated for you.
Here’s a video walk-through tutorial of the process of using socialposter.com:
It won’t completely eliminate the time-consuming task of manually submitting to dozens of social bookmark sites, but it certainly will shave off a decent portion of time spent on the task. Moreover, it will help you to consistently submit to the top sites using socialposter.com’s list of sites.