Apple's Innovations and Steve Jobs

ABC World News made Steve Jobs their person of the week this week.  Starting out of his garage in 1976, Steve Jobs has seen Apple grow and its innovations pervade the marketplace of ideas and technology.

My first PC was an Apple--shortly after it was invented.  In 1990 I wrote my dissertation on a Macintosh at the university computer lab and purchased my first Apple in 1991.  I have been using Apple and Macintosh computers for years--then had to convert to Windows-based computers for business and later for schools.  (I am still a Mac-fanatic at heart.)

I have fallen in love with my iPod Touch (32Gs) and use it in the wifi mode for everything from surfing the web to e-mail to listening to audio books and more.  The iPad (Apple Tablet by whatever name it may end up with) appears to be a larger version of the iPod Touch--just with updated software and some Macintosh capabilities built in.  (Of course I want an iPad and an iPhone.  I'd be an early adapter except for the new economy.)

A suggestion to Steve and Apple based on my research on improving reading and academic performance, get the iPad to synchronize unabridged eBooks and eAudioBooks so that students can read and listen at the same time.  I've done that with students, especially English language learners, with good results.  In practicing Spanish, I've also listened to a book in English and read the unabridged book in Spanish simultaneously.

I hope that the app process for the iPod Touch and the iPhone will work for the new iPad as well.

Keeping Current with Communication Technology--Challenging

My friend converted a Microsoft PowerPoint Show from his 2007 Microsoft Office software to a You Tube video using TechSmith's "Camtasia Studio" software.  He had voice over and the You Tube video looks great.

I've been working all day to get a narrated presentation converted from Adobe Presenter or Microsoft PowerPoint to be copied and played effectively using Camtasia or Apple's QuickTime and Microsoft MovieMaker.

After more than a half-day of working at it, I have nothing more than partially completed draft projects.  The challenge at the moment is the audio.  (I have recorded it a few times and want to use what I already have in place rather than recording it again.)

I'll master this soon--and the practice has given me great ideas for the kinds of digital movies I want to create for clients and students.  TechSmith's trial software is full-featured during the 30-day trial period.  That should give me time to understand its value before I invest in the full package.

I had feedback from TechSmith--creators of Camtasia--with a "work around" for the sound.  (Just use a cable with two 3.5mm male connectors between the headphones and the microphone jack, then adjust the playback on the computer and the "mic" on Camtasia to make sure the signal is "mostly green.")

I tried it and have three videos up and running.  I've put two up on YouTube and on TeacherTube (for those who cannot access YouTube from school.)  Go to my web page at http://www.joelmonty.net/profile/profile.htm for links to all of these.

". . . There's an 'app' for that."

I downloaded the free application (app) called "Bump" from the Apple iTunes Store this morning. Apple iTunes has been open for a little more than a year and "Bump" (as I remember) said that it was proud to be the billionth application available for download.

I have the iPod Touch (2nd Generation)  running the 3.0 operating system.  It can work with almost all of the apps available. I just purchased an external microphone for the iPod Touch, so now I can work with all of the apps that call for recording. I just can't take photos or work with the telephone features. To run on the Internet I need to be at a WiFi location.

Enough "tecky" stuff. Apple has done a great job and I can see more and more people getting great value from these products and apps. It was good timing, too, for the introduction of these things.

After downloading "Bump" to my PC and then synchronizing it to my iPod Touch, I downloaded a few more free apps and tested them out--along with their PC-based versions. There are some phenomenonal apps and I found myself investing most of the day in learning how to work the new apps and more expansive PC-based software. One of the best things I found was a new software for making movies of what you do on the PC. The name of the product is "Jing" and it is produced by TechSmith software (http://www.techsmith.com)--makers of SnagIt and several other terrific products I have used for years. I downloaded the free version of Jing and it will allow me to make a free, five-minute movie that I can post to websites, etc. This is just what I need for some presentations and webinars and podcasts I hope to be producing in the near future.

So, did I waste my time "playing" with some apps today? I probably did, though I also added to my personal creativity and found some new tools I needed to get my work done--when I get "down to work."