Win $1000 in the MindBites Spread the Craft Video Contest

Are you a Crafting Queen, a Naughty Knitter or a Siren of the Scrapbook? Well have we got the contest for you! Share your mad skills through a video lesson and be eligible to win from more than $1500 in prizes in the MindBites Spread the Craft Contest. Lessons must be uploaded by June 23rd, so register today to gain access to tips, resources, and help. It’s free to enter, it’s fun, you could win $1000, and most importantly, you’ll be helping to Spread the Craft. Visit the contest page here to learn more and check back to see the most recent entries as they come in. Best of all, from June 24th to July 7th, you’ll be able to help choose the People’s Choice Award winner by voting for your favorite. Enter Now!

Not a crafter? Don’t worry this is just the first of many content contests to come. Have an idea for what our next one should be? Email us at contests@mindbites.com.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off that camcorder, get that crafting project ready and help MindBites Spread the Craft!

Need a little inspiration? Here’s AnnieRoonie popular How to Make a Pillowcase Dress MindBite:

Tags: contest, craft, spread the craft | Posted in MindBites News and Notes, Press | No Comments »

The Latest PC Editing Programs

Which Do I Need and Which Should I Buy?

Newcomers to digital video creation on PC really have two choices for software editing programs, 1. Go with the free built in Windows Movie Maker (or other free equivalent like pinnacle’s VideoSpin) 2. Purchase one of the many software packages that run around $100. This post addresses the most important question that arises from these two options: Do I need to pay for a program and if so, which should I buy?

The part of the question “Do I need to pay for a program?” can be answered by asking yourself if you feel limited by the capabilities of Movie Maker or whatever free software you use. There is nothing wrong with free as long as you don’t feel the need to do more than what the program offers. If you feel held back by the limitations, by all means spend the money and get a stand-alone editing program. I promise you will not regret the decision.

The answer to “Which should I buy?” used to be a convoluted one, but as of late, two programs, Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate and Adobe Premiere Elements 4, have emerged at the top of every list.

The reason Studio 11 and Elements fare so well is because of two very important concepts: Support and Cross-Compatibility. Other PC editors like Roxio Easy Media Creator, Corel Ulead VideoStudio, and Sony Vegas are created by companies whose main target is not video products. Sony is new to the video software marketplace and their editors, though not bad, require a lot of prior technical knowledge and don’t integrate all the video processes (capture, edit, export) very well. Corel is known for their Draw software, and again cannot compete within the video editing landscape that for so long has been dominated by Pinnacle and Adobe. Roxio makes CD burning software for God’s sake!

If you are serious about video-making, go with Adobe Elements 4 or Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate. It is worth the investment and the wonderful support, and frequent updates insure your software will not become outdated a few months after your purchase.

Another good reason to go with one of these two? MindBites will be providing feedback and instructional videos for these platforms to further your enablement as an author. You can already find two Premiere Elements videos (Beginners Guide, Intro to Animation), and one on Pinnacle Studio 11 is soon to come.

Tags: Corel, Movie Maker, Peremiere Elements, Pinnacle, Roxio, Studio 11, Ulead, VideoSpin | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »

How to Avoid a Malware Infestation on your PC

… and save the computer-savvy folks a lot of time.

One of the areas where PC’s are considerably less user friendly than Mac’s is in the realm of Malware. While Malware still threatens Mac users, their operating systems are much more stable and can better reduce the amount of alien information trafficking around the file system. PC’s are easier to target; that is why 95% of Malware is targeted toward the PC platform. Before I tell you how to prevent Malware effectively on the PC, I better define it.

There are lots of words thrown around when it comes to things you don’t want on your computer: Viruses, Adware, and Spyware. Here are the differences:

- Viruses are computer programs that, like a organic virus, can reproduce on your computer and spread to other computers via e-mail, flash drives, and shared files.

- Adware is software that is installed on your computer to show you advertisements.

- Spyware is software which is installed on your computer to spy on your activities and report this data to people willing to pay for it.

Malware is sort of an umbrella phrase that covers all software whose perceived intent is malicious (Malware is a combination of the words Malicious and Software). This includes Adware, Spyware, viruses, etc.

So now that you know what it is how do you prevent it from happening to you? Here are so tips for preventing Malware on your PC:

1. You should have a good virus scanner running on your PC. Norton and McAfee are the most common, but there are many free virus scanners that work very well also (look at the Free Basic Protection at http://free.grisoft.com/). No virus scan will work unless you update it very frequently. All virus scanners have the option to get updates… DO IT! Virus definitions change every week and if you aren’t up to date your virus software is worthless.

2. You need more than a virus scanner. Most virus scans can detect viruses and Trojans, but most of them don’t detect adware and spyware. Spybot is a free program for detecting spyware/adware. Check it out at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html. Run this in conjunction with your Virus scanner. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Malware | Posted in Life and Learning | 1 Comment »

Tread Lightly: Using Music in your Lesson

There is nothing I despise more than being dragged down into the legalese of copyright infringement, when all I want is to work and create unimpeded. Unfortunately, we reside in a world surrounded by red tape, and one must tread lightly and with severe caution, lest you find yourself lost amidst a mine field.

Infringement of music rights is something of a hot topic right now, what with peer-to-peer sharing and illegal album downloads at an all-time high (a recent study suggests that 58% of all music obtained in the U.S. is done illegally). Now, the reason we’ve decided to take up the reigns and discuss copyright infringement is because we’ve received several questions, usually about music, of such a nature that indicates many MindBiters are mistaken as to what is allowable regarding the use of other people’s material: How much of a song can I use? Is only popular music under copyright? If a work is really old, is it free to use? Can I record myself playing a “Coldplay” song and be safe from infringement?

Well, I hate to burst everyone’s bubble but essentially ALL MUSIC RECORDINGS ARE COPYRIGHTED, and use of a song, any piece of a song, no matter how long or short, must be cleared by its owners to be in accordance with the law. Yep, it’s lame, but true. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: copyright, music | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »

Cooking Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage- Candy to the Memory

Red cabbage is one of those things that occurs in nature and is absolutely breathtaking when you slice it open. The sheer fact that nature can create such a color, pattern, and contrast just blows my mind sometimes. I had a memory from when I was a child of red cabbage. Instantly, I was flooded with thoughts, times, and occasions that it was served. I began to ask friends and family members if they remember eating red cabbage and everyone seems to agree that they had it when they were younger but do not have many occasions to eat it now. I could remember its sweetness the most and decided that I was going to cook it for my children to pass on the memory and tradition.

As I began to chop the cabbage, I remembered the texture and more memories started coming back to me but I was still in awe of it’s natural beauty. I really love it when food brings back strong, great memories from the past.

When the cabbage was all chopped up, it looked almost like a monochromatic floral bouquet.

Instantly when I put the cabbage onto the stove and it started cooking, I experienced the smell and that completed the walk down memory lane for me. Red cabbage has such a distinct smell that you really are transformed back in time.

I would highly recommend giving it a try. I call this “food therapy” and it really works. The bonus is that it is much cheaper than retail therapy. Oh yes, I almost forgot, here is the recipe:

1 head of red cabbage, shredded or diced

2 sour apples, peeled and cut into cubes

4 slices bacon, ham or canadian bacon

4 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Fry the bacon (ham or Canadian bacon) in the skillet until brown and leave the fat and bacon in the skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly and get the cabbage mixture very hot, then turn down the heat and let it cook slowly until tender (at least 1 hour). This dish may be fixed ahead of time and reheated. Some people call this sweet and sour red cabbage. I don’t think it is sour at all, just extra tasty.

Tags: cooking red cabbage, food memories, how to cook red cabbage, sweet and sour red cabbage | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »

VideoSpin: Free PC Video Editing by Pinnacle

Pinnacle Systems recently released a free PC editing program called VideoSpin, requiring only a 148-megabyte download from www.videospin.com. I decided to give the program a try to see what the implications were for MindBites users and those looking for cost-effective ways to edit on the PC. Unfortunately, my heart is not set on VideoSpin, and all-in-all it doesn’t change the landscape of free PC editing in any fundamental way.

I will start with what is good about VideoSpin and then mention my critiques. The program has almost no learning curve. Its interface is simple and linear. You have mainly two modes: Edit and Make Movie. All the editing, adding sound effects, transitions, titles, and so on is done in Edit mode, and then Make Movie is used to export your final product.

There is a nice volume bar that you can easily key-frame and move around, making fading audio in and out very simple. The program also renders transitions as you place them, which alleviates the problem of thinking you did something wrong when your un-rendered video plays choppy. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: DiVX, editing, Movie Maker, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Pinncale, Studio 11, VideoSpin | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | 1 Comment »

How to Make a Homemade Green Screen

So, you wanna add some special effects to your awesome instructional video on how to fly like superman? You could go all out and create your own self-standing back drop with PVC piping and muslin fabric that will set you back fifty bucks, still a far-cry from the industry standard. But in this article, we are doing it up college-style, a.k.a. with a budget under five dollars, and the only materials we need are green poster board, duct tape, and a light source, all found in your local drug store.

BACKDROP SETUP

1. First, how big is your subject’s action? Are you walking, standing or sitting? Is it a full-body action or just a shot from the waist up? Once you know your subject’s actions you can fill the background with the necessary amount of green poster to match.

2. Set up your poster board against a wall. Place duct tape behind the poster to keep it in place. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Green Screen, Homemade | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »

Integrating Vegetables into your Diet: Quick and Easy Recipes

I have a close personal friend who is very much into his body image. He lifts weights at least two hours each day, is extremely lean and has very large, defined muscles. To maintain this shape, he consumes 200 grams of protein each day (1 gram per pound of body weight). This is a combination of animal protein and soy protein found in protein shakes. He eats a small amount of fruit (in his protein shake) and typically has a starch like pasta with each meal. He does not eat vegetables, except salad every once in a while.

Recently, Mr. Lean Body took a blood test for a life insurance exam, and his blood results came back all out of whack. His bad cholesterol was too high, his good cholesterol was too low, and a few of his other panels were out of range. He took his results to his physician, and she directly told him that he needs to reduce his protein intake and up his vegetable intake for the rest of his life. It was then that I received an email asking for help with easy, delicious vegetable recipes. This is what I told him:

1. Baked Sweet Potato with salt/pepper, butter, and a little bit of sour cream. You can bake them in the microwave, one at a time until soft, or all together in the oven, wrapped in foil. Poke holes in it with a fork before cooking.

2. Cut sweet potato into thin slices, toss the slices in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Arrange on a baking pan with foil and broil. Turn them over with a fork when the slices get brown and crispy. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adding Vegetables, Diet, Health | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »

The RODE Scholar (A Microphone Review)

Mazal Tov! We at MindBites are proud to announce that we have a wonderful new addition to our ever-expanding equipment family. It just arrived a few days ago in a cocoon of shrink wrap and packaging tape, and we couldn’t be more pleased. I can hardly put the little bugger down.

The RODE Videomic is one heck of a toy. It’s a unidirectional, condenser microphone that packs quite a punch for it’s going price. You’ll find it at most places for just under $150, though discount sites like B&H Photo and Video may have some killer deals that out-do the suggested retail value. Now obviously, it’s not the best microphone I’ve ever used, but I’ve had my lucky little appendages on some honkers in my day, most of which go for thousands of dollars, easy. Since the RODE costs less than a night out at the opera, you can bet that it is top in its class.

The fact that the Videomic is unidirectional means that it silences unwanted noises that approach from the sides, generally picking up only sound sources directly in front of the receiver and, to a lesser extent, those behind it as well (this allows for the operator’s voice to be heard on tape in interview type scenarios). This is important for clear and focused sound, as opposed to what one might obtain with an omnidirectional mic.

It requires a single 9-volt battery which provides over 100 hours of operation. It’s a large beast, the microphone itself being just over 8 inches without the mounting system. As you may have noticed from the accompanying pics, it more or less dwarfs the camera it’s attached to. However, though it’s size is somewhat daunting when compared with other on-camera microphones, it’s very light and doesn’t impede or even much effect handheld recording.

Its sound quality is very good, obtaining an even vocal equalization that is neither too high nor too low. The OFF/ON switch can be pushed to a third position that engages the bass roll-off feature, which will quiet and even mute certain low frequency drone ambiance like refrigerator hum and nearby freeway noise. It connects to the camera via a 1/4″ jack, similar to what you will see on headphones. This will be an issue if your camera has only XLR inputs, but for most consumer and prosumer camcorders, this connection will work fine for on-camera microphone mounting (if the mic was further away, say twenty feet or more, than a 1/4″ cable connection would begin to produce an unpleasant hum noticeable on tape).

My favorite feature of the mic is that it comes with an accompanying shock mount. The whole set-up fits snugly onto the camera’s hot-shoe and employs little elastic bands that diffuse motion waves from small impacts and unsteady hand operation, all of which can negatively affect the recorded audio. This makes handheld recording much more effective as the operator can focus less on disturbing the mic and more on recording quality images.

All in all, I enjoy this mic very much. It wipes the floor with the other microphones in our MindBites arsenal, and I had been fairly happy with those prior to the arrival of the RODE. I recommend it to anyone who is looking to up the ante on their video productions without splurging for the truly professional and grotesquely exorbitant microphones.

Tags: Mics, Product Review, Rode | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »

I <3 the Internet

I love live music shows – the music, the energy, and the people. Usually after I watch a band live, I start to obsess over them, and I watch and listen to every video or sound clip I can find of them. I pretty much go through phases and listen to only that one band’s CD for weeks at a time, and then I find a new obsession. Ever since the SXSW music festival, I’ve been obsessing over bands, trying to figure out when they would return to Austin on tour (maybe at ACL). I’ve been listening to all my favorites over and over – Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Sara Bareilles, and Ingrid Michaelson, to name a few. After every music show I go to, it makes me realize how much I love the Internet! There aren’t many things that you can’t find online. It pretty much meets my every want, need, and desire. Okay, I’m kidding, but really, I love it, because I can go to various websites to listen to my favorite artists for free! It’s easy and convenient to use the Internet to listen or watch my favorite artist at my ease and desire.

I’m pretty sure that I’ve kept MySpace/YouTube pages open for about a week straight now. It sounds cheesy, but I like to use YouTube to watch the videos of live performances to relive the moment. Haven’t you ever been to a show that you can’t stop thinking about? Eventually, the high wears off, but when you’re still riding it, it’s nice to be able to reference the Internet for a little help. I know it’s not the same, but it’s the closest thing I can get until the next time the artist rolls back into Austin for a live show.

Usability and flexibility of the Internet just makes it that much more appealing; think of how you are able to use and view MindBites video lessons on your own and at your ease. I have realized how, through the Internet, MindBites can bring people together to one central location but at the same time, can be reached from all over the world, like MySpace and YouTube.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Internet, MySpace, youtube | Posted in Life and Learning, MindBites News and Notes | No Comments »