So I'm faced with a purchasing decision and I don't know what my best option is.
As part of the Journal Register Company transformation, I've been trained to ask "What would Jeff Jarvis do?" (Jarvis is on JRC's board of advisors.) Thanks to that training, I know that Jeff Jarvis would ask "What would Google do?" And I now know the answer to that question is a little buzzword I like to toss around in casual conversation these days: crowdsource.
So I'm putting it out to you, my tens of readers.Oh, and I should note this is for my personal use.
Adobe Premiere Elements 8, a piece of video editing software on my "to buy" list for some months now, is on sale at Best Buy for $69.99 this week (regularly $99.99, though I see on the Adobe site now that the price was slashed to $79.99). A best buy, indeed. The only thing keeping me from rushing out and finalizing the transaction is that the bundle containing Premiere Elements AND Photoshop Elements 8 is also on sale for $99.99 (regularly $149.99 -- or $119.99 after a similar price cut from Adobe).
The thing is, I'm not sure I NEED Photoshop Elements. I don't do much to my photos that I can't do with Google Picasa. In fact, I've still got photos from my honeymoon (in September 2009) that I haven't touched. So the extra $30 bucks plus tax might not be worth it right now, especially when it could go in my gas tank or pay some bills.
On the other hand, it'd be silly to pass up a sale, right?
So what do you all think?
Ramblings on media issues and trends, technology, higher education, and human culture in the digital era.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Call out: Do you utilize geolocation while social networking?
Do you utilize geolocation social networking sites like FourSquare or Gowalla or geolocation features on Twitter or other platforms?
If so, I'd like to speak with you for an upcoming piece.
Leave a comment here, send me an @ tweet (@steve_shoe) e-mail me at sshoemaker [at] saratogian [dot] com or, heck, pick up the phone and call me at (518) 583-8729 ext. 221.
Update: Monday, June 28, 2010; 11:36 a.m.
Here's a post at Mashable that outlines how Twitter's newly revamped geolocation offering could be just the shot of juice needed to blast the trend out of niche and into mainstream and what that could mean.
If so, I'd like to speak with you for an upcoming piece.
Leave a comment here, send me an @ tweet (@steve_shoe) e-mail me at sshoemaker [at] saratogian [dot] com or, heck, pick up the phone and call me at (518) 583-8729 ext. 221.
Update: Monday, June 28, 2010; 11:36 a.m.
Here's a post at Mashable that outlines how Twitter's newly revamped geolocation offering could be just the shot of juice needed to blast the trend out of niche and into mainstream and what that could mean.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Saratogian reader rants: You kids and your OMG!
My favorite reader's comment of the day (ever?), left underneath the article "State Park Police arrest 68 during Phish concert weekend," and courtesy of user Saratoga01 (emphasis is mine):"This behavior is sickening. Saratoga has gone downhill every year as more people from this generation grow up and become adults. Disgusting is what it is. Walking their dogs on Broadway, talking on their phones while driving, using OMG and LOL in blogs. Do you think the men and women of this country would volunteer or alow themselves to be drafted into service like they did in WW2? No wonder foriegners hate us so much. It's the all about me generation that doesn't care about anything but themselves. Look at the trash you people leave after every concert. Ever think about cleaning up after yourselves?"
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sans cell
Friday night I shut my cell phone off and didn't turn it back on until this morning. There were one or two itches to turn it on and check work e-mail, messages or find out what was going on via Twitter, but really, they weren't that strong
I love going without the cell phone when I can: It makes me feel like a pioneer crossing the continent in a covered wagon.
I love going without the cell phone when I can: It makes me feel like a pioneer crossing the continent in a covered wagon.
Friday, June 18, 2010
In the cloud with YouTube Video Editor
Earlier this week YouTube launched a video editor based entirely in "the cloud."
It's really quite basic and if you've got a propriety program like Final Cut Express, iMovie or Adobe Premiere Elements that you're comfortable using, this early version of the program isn't going to impress.
Still, for quick and dirty edits when you're on the go and away from your usual rig, it could be a resource.
Edits are limited to shortening videos from their start or end; if you want to cut out a section from the middle of a clip, it appears you'll have to do a work-around by saving a second (third, fourth, etc.) version of the same clip and combining the two (or more) portions you want.
Read here to go to the YouTube blog and read more about the video editor.
Right now it's less functional than the FlipShare software that comes installed on the Flip Mino cameras The Saratogian reporters are sporting these days, but I'm sure improved features for the YouTube Video Editor will roll out steadily in the coming months/years -- it's Google, afterall.
I'm also trying to play around with another free video editor based in the cloud: JayCut. I say "try" because I created an account last night, signed out briefly, and then couldn't log back in. I was told my password wasn't recognized, and when I tried to have a new password e-mailed to me (several times), nothing arrived in my inbox.
I sent an e-mail to JayCut support (based in Stockholm, Sweden), so we'll see if I get a response back. It looks fairly functional, but the proof is in the pudding.
What about you? Any favorite video editing software, free or not?
It's really quite basic and if you've got a propriety program like Final Cut Express, iMovie or Adobe Premiere Elements that you're comfortable using, this early version of the program isn't going to impress.
Still, for quick and dirty edits when you're on the go and away from your usual rig, it could be a resource.
Edits are limited to shortening videos from their start or end; if you want to cut out a section from the middle of a clip, it appears you'll have to do a work-around by saving a second (third, fourth, etc.) version of the same clip and combining the two (or more) portions you want.
Read here to go to the YouTube blog and read more about the video editor.
Right now it's less functional than the FlipShare software that comes installed on the Flip Mino cameras The Saratogian reporters are sporting these days, but I'm sure improved features for the YouTube Video Editor will roll out steadily in the coming months/years -- it's Google, afterall.
I'm also trying to play around with another free video editor based in the cloud: JayCut. I say "try" because I created an account last night, signed out briefly, and then couldn't log back in. I was told my password wasn't recognized, and when I tried to have a new password e-mailed to me (several times), nothing arrived in my inbox.
I sent an e-mail to JayCut support (based in Stockholm, Sweden), so we'll see if I get a response back. It looks fairly functional, but the proof is in the pudding.
What about you? Any favorite video editing software, free or not?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A golden blast from my past
A remake of a 13-year-old video game based on a movie that's part of a film franchise -- based on novels -- that's had six actors play the title character over its decades-long run in the cinema? YES PLEASE!
Proof that gaming peaked in the mid-90s?
Sorry. I know this doesn't thematically jive with most of this blog, but the Nintendo fanboy in me rejoices.
Still though, good stuff coming out of E3 this week in Los Angeles in terms of tech.
Proof that gaming peaked in the mid-90s?
Sorry. I know this doesn't thematically jive with most of this blog, but the Nintendo fanboy in me rejoices.
Still though, good stuff coming out of E3 this week in Los Angeles in terms of tech.
Twitter's mysterious 'Over Capacity Whale'
I was going to play around with Twitter Places this morning, the social networking site's new-ish foray into geolocation (read more at Mashable), but instead I got this:
A mild inconvenience, for sure (and Twitter has been having some problems for going on a week now). As I sat and pondered the iconic image, though, I got thinking: It really doesn't make much sense.
Why are those birds trying to hoist that whale from its natural environment? It won't survive on land. Are they taking it to Sea World or some similar ocean-themed park? That just seems cruel. Is the whale sick? He DOES look sedated.
Perhaps the birds are trying to return the whale to its home? If so, it seems they've managed to do just that. They could just release that net, let the whale make a comfortable splashdown, and congratulate themselves on a job well done. Clearly that whale wasn't beyond their ability to move, so what's over capacity?
Maybe they're bustin' the whale out of the joint (the aforementioned theme park)? There's just too many uncertainties with this image.
Update: 2:54 p.m. -- One of my followers on Twitter raised a good point: Perhaps the birds are rescuing the "fail whale" from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That might explain the strange orange waves. Not following me on Twitter? Well why not? I'm @steve_shoe (www.twitter.com/steve_shoe).
Here's an article from CNN: Why website crashes are unavoidable -- at least for now. Twitter: I'm not a rabid social networker and completely understand your growth is at the root of your technical woes right now. If you're going to be down, though, how about developing a few new "oops!" images and creating a rotating queue so I don't have to ponder that poor whale's fate any longer.
As mysterious and captivating as the
ancient cave paintings of Lascaux.
A mild inconvenience, for sure (and Twitter has been having some problems for going on a week now). As I sat and pondered the iconic image, though, I got thinking: It really doesn't make much sense.
Why are those birds trying to hoist that whale from its natural environment? It won't survive on land. Are they taking it to Sea World or some similar ocean-themed park? That just seems cruel. Is the whale sick? He DOES look sedated.
Perhaps the birds are trying to return the whale to its home? If so, it seems they've managed to do just that. They could just release that net, let the whale make a comfortable splashdown, and congratulate themselves on a job well done. Clearly that whale wasn't beyond their ability to move, so what's over capacity?
Maybe they're bustin' the whale out of the joint (the aforementioned theme park)? There's just too many uncertainties with this image.
Update: 2:54 p.m. -- One of my followers on Twitter raised a good point: Perhaps the birds are rescuing the "fail whale" from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That might explain the strange orange waves. Not following me on Twitter? Well why not? I'm @steve_shoe (www.twitter.com/steve_shoe).
Here's an article from CNN: Why website crashes are unavoidable -- at least for now. Twitter: I'm not a rabid social networker and completely understand your growth is at the root of your technical woes right now. If you're going to be down, though, how about developing a few new "oops!" images and creating a rotating queue so I don't have to ponder that poor whale's fate any longer.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Mapping Twitter trends in the Spa City
I'm playing around with Twitter maps this morning. These are maps that show the latest tweets in a geographic region or more specific topic trends in an area, based on geo-tagged tweets.
So far I've put in a little time with two, Trendsmap and Bing. Trendsmap looks impressive when it first loads up, and I suppose if we lived in a major metropolitan area like New York City, Boston, San Francisco, etc., it'd be pretty cool. But if I didn't know any better and was basing my assumption only off Trendsmap, I'd conclude New York was a black hole of Twitter activity, entirely devoid of tweeters.
This I know not to be true.
Right now #dearmonday is trending somewhere around Albany/Altamont/Vorheesville, #syracuse is trending around Syracuse (makes sense) and #trueblood is trending around Oneida (odd).
Perhaps this means there's not enough tweeting on the same topic taking place in upstate.
Take a look for yourself. Maybe some of the trends have changed (Trendsmap doesn't appear to allow for embed): http://trendsmap.com/r/ZzVy
On the other hand, the Twitter overlay on Bing Maps is moderately more impressive. Aside from the awesome pictures Bing displays on its main search page every day, this is the first time the Microsoft "decision engine" has really impressed me over Google (which, near as I can tell right now, doesn't have a feature like this. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, though). It's part of a suite of "apps" available for Bing Maps (note: Microsoft Silverlight required to take advantage of these features).
As of my writing, though, it's only pulling in 63 tweets from the last 12 days in Saratoga Springs and surrounding areas. I suppose this means that only a handful of people around here have their tweets geo-enabled, or there's some gaps in the system and some tweets are getting lost in the cartographic void. Here's a look:
So far I've put in a little time with two, Trendsmap and Bing. Trendsmap looks impressive when it first loads up, and I suppose if we lived in a major metropolitan area like New York City, Boston, San Francisco, etc., it'd be pretty cool. But if I didn't know any better and was basing my assumption only off Trendsmap, I'd conclude New York was a black hole of Twitter activity, entirely devoid of tweeters.
This I know not to be true.
Right now #dearmonday is trending somewhere around Albany/Altamont/Vorheesville, #syracuse is trending around Syracuse (makes sense) and #trueblood is trending around Oneida (odd).
Perhaps this means there's not enough tweeting on the same topic taking place in upstate.
Take a look for yourself. Maybe some of the trends have changed (Trendsmap doesn't appear to allow for embed): http://trendsmap.com/r/ZzVy
On the other hand, the Twitter overlay on Bing Maps is moderately more impressive. Aside from the awesome pictures Bing displays on its main search page every day, this is the first time the Microsoft "decision engine" has really impressed me over Google (which, near as I can tell right now, doesn't have a feature like this. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, though). It's part of a suite of "apps" available for Bing Maps (note: Microsoft Silverlight required to take advantage of these features).
As of my writing, though, it's only pulling in 63 tweets from the last 12 days in Saratoga Springs and surrounding areas. I suppose this means that only a handful of people around here have their tweets geo-enabled, or there's some gaps in the system and some tweets are getting lost in the cartographic void. Here's a look:
Monday, June 7, 2010
iPhone 4 officially unveiled
I'm not anti-Apple enough not to acknowledge that the iPhone is one slick piece of gadgetry. With today's unveiling of the iPhone 4, the revolutionary device gets even slicker. Here's a live blog from the Yahoo! Working Guy tech blog covering the Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco today.
It's amazing how much one can accomplish with a gizmo that fits in their pocket. The head of my 15-year-old self would explode with creativity if I'd had something like this in my hands (I'm most impressed with the app version of iMovie that will be available).
It's amazing how much one can accomplish with a gizmo that fits in their pocket. The head of my 15-year-old self would explode with creativity if I'd had something like this in my hands (I'm most impressed with the app version of iMovie that will be available).
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