Ugh, cedar. I hate it. I realized this only after moving to Austin in 2001. You could say that Austin gave me allergies (Cedar Levels in Austin, TX.) I thought maybe I should move back to Houston. But then I would have to leave my job, my cool apartment, and all the friends…they are definitely worth the chronic allergies, right? However much Austin is worth, allergy season still makes working in a carport office extremely uncomfortable.
I work at MindBites headquarters; a one-room, one-bath side-house that overlooks a grassy knoll, a few bushes, and the house dog’s bathroom.
We are slightly cramped for space so when you’re sick, everyone’s sick (or would be sick, if your boss hadn’t found out that the shower could be turned into additional office space). Last week when cedar levels hit record breaking highs, I thought about willingly taking my laptop into the shower.
However, I was not sure if I had allergies or a cold, so I was taking both Benadryl at night and DayQuil in the morning. Nothing I took seemed to work, and my nose felt like it was going to be congested for eons.
Luckily, our video production team shot a lesson on how to take care of these things. Watch the free preview here:
In this video, pharmaceutical specialist, Kaya Dupuis, introduces the Neil Med Sinus Rinse Kit. It turns out that you have to physically remove the pollen that gets lodged in your nose to cure your sinuses of cedar allergies. If I had done this earlier, my co-workers would probably have appreciated me more in the office and been less inclined to show me the shower.
Oh, how I love these wonderful toys! Let me tell you, whenever the big boss man sidles into the office with a new gadget or gizmo under his arm and tosses it on my desk with instructions to test its worth, well it’s as good as Christmas to a big nerd like myself. I poke and prod every inch, field-testing it to within an inch of its warranty, all in the name of consumer gratification. That’s right, we run these machines through the ropes simply to let you know how they perform.
My most recent encounter was with the Canon HV20 camcorder, a camera with the ability to shoot in the HDV codec, meaning that when programmed to do so, it records with 1080 lines of resolution (a big improvement from the 720 lines found in typical mini-DV NTSC). I feel my first obligation is to explain to you the difference between HD and HDV. Many retailers will label this an HD camera, but don’t expect to see quality comparable to what you get on your HD television. Just like high definition programming, this camera can record the full 1080 lines of resolution, theoretically capturing an equally crisp and defined image. However, the medium, which this and many other HDV camcorders record to, is still mini-DV tapes. To fit onto the magnetic strips of these tapes, the image must be dramatically compressed, degrading the quality of the HD image by a significant amount.Don’t be discouraged just yet, for while you won’t get true HD quality out of these reasonably-priced cameras, you’re still getting a heap more than you would from a standard definition HD camera. That being stated, on to the Canon HV20.To begin with, I downright dig this camera. Canon’s operations are always user friendly, and this model is no different.The menu is easily navigable and the interface is intuitive. Read the rest of this entry »Sphere: Related ContentEmail This Post
Ok, so maybe it was our team who made and uploaded these videos about voting for MindBites for this year’s SXSW People’s Choice web award, but hey, they’re funny! Check them out and don’t forget to vote daily at: https://secure.sxsw.com/peoples_choice/
As with all things created, a stable structure must be formed upon a solid foundation. Such is true with your education, hence the existence of these little video tutorials, as well as your shot. So this week, the MindBite Insight discusses the benefits and utilization of Tripods.
A word synonymous with stabilization, tripods are invaluable to the photographer and/or videographer. The steady, smooth look one gains with tripod usage provides for a professionalism absent among hand held shooting. Though most everyone is acquainted with the standard tripod arrangement, there are important, yet subtle nuances, to each component that may slip past the neophyte’s notice. And thus we are here, to probe, dissect, and detail every inch of the tripod, so that your understanding of the tool has, at its roots, a solid foundation.
One of the premier conferences of its kind, the South by Southwest Interactive festival has honored MindBites by picking us as a finalist in the Best Educational Resource category. We are also in the running for the People’s Choice award, so please take a second and vote for us!
(hint: you can vote daily so please vote early and often!)
South by Southwest started in 1987 as a battle of the bands but evolved into an interactive, film, and music festival and conference that takes place in Austin, TX every spring. The Interactive Festival showcases, discusses, and recognizes new technologies, emerging media and all sorts of cool folks.
We’re honored to be listed as a finalist for the Best Educational Resourcealong with some other really neat sites. And, as mentioned above, we are also up for the People’s Choice Award, where your vote counts! You can vote every day, so as they say in Chicago “vote early and often!” Vote for us here!
This week in the MindBite Insight, we offer a counterpart to last episode’s lesson on Editing Basics for Macs. We would be remiss if we did not provide a similar instructional for our PC patrons, so we now present to you EDITING BASICS (for Windows). Loaded with all the glorious goodies of last week’s Insight, this lesson explores the elements of Window’s Movie Maker, the free editing program that comes installed with all recent versions of Microsoft Windows.
Keith, in a bumbling yet mildly coherent manner, walks you through the steps of getting your footage into the computer, organizing it, editing it, and finally exporting the finished sequence into a format that is ready for its debut on the MindBites website. Geared toward novices, this tutorial is a quick introduction designed to put you into the throes of editing with all the essentials, but little of the fluff. We strongly encourage all beginners to spend an hour or two, after watching this lesson, perusing the program’s many intricacies and features. It doesn’t take much to get the hang of these highly intuitive programs, just the mindset and some determination, and you’ll be MindBiting your heart out in no time. Enjoy!
Been meaning to finish that great new lesson? Running out of clothes to wear? Have we got a deal for you! Upload a new lesson by the end of April (4/30) and be the first on your block to receive a stylin’ MindBites t-shirt. Available in any color you’d like (as long as it’s black), and one of two versions (see below). The MindBites T is guaranteed to be the fashion statement of the year. So get crackin’!
Available in “Normal”…
and “Edgy”.
While supplies last. Lessons must qualify as valid MindBites lessons. All rules and restrictions apply. Not valid in Equatorial New Guinea and some parts of Arkansas.
Whenever I think of social networks, such as Facebook.com, Myspace.com, etc., I think of how users love checking their myspace messages, their facebook wall, or always trying to increase their friend count. What you may not realize is how you can utilize these social networks to promote yourself and your MindBites lessons.
After you have made your MindBites lesson, you will want to ensure that everyone you know watches it.You may call or e-mail your family members and closest friends to get their support and ask them to pass it on to other people they know. With that idea in mind, think about applying it to your favorite social network. For about a week and a half now, I have been applying that idea to facebook. It’s great because I can send a message to all my friends, post things on marketplace (an application that facebook has for selling things), or create a group.
Another great feature about facebook is the news feed.I remember when Facebook made the switch to utilizing their news feed. Basically, facebook publicizes your actions (joining groups, posting things on marketplace, posting links) to all your friends. You can use this to your advantage because if you were to post a link to your MindBites lesson, all of your friends would see that link posted on their news feed as well, increasing exposure.Overall, you can personalize your social networking page to promote your MindBites lesson as another way to increase exposure. They provide places where you can display your interests, activities, contact information, and even links! Read the rest of this entry »
Well, last week we made a promise in our blog that we had hardly hoped to keep. We boldly pledged to bring you weekly episodes of The MindBites Insight, a fledgling program intended to teach the millions of yearning MindBiters out there in cyberland how to use the myriad of digital production tools available to the common man/woman. However altruistic and lofty this goal may have been, we never expected to be held to its implications. I mean how conceivable is it that someone would have actually read our minuscule, virtually undetectable blog post?
But someone did read it, and now our boss says we have “obligations”. Great.
So, back by popular demand, and for an indefinitely extended run, is the glorious MindBites Insight with the second episode EDITING BASICS (for Macs).
Yes, we apologize for the platform specific instruction, but there is a ton of information to discuss when dealing with either a Mac or a PC, so we decided to split the two. The next Insight episode will deal with editing on a PC. Read the rest of this entry »
After putting off the remodel job in our master bathroom for what seems like forever, the time has finally come to start the process. For me, getting started means a lot of research on the subject. After all the time that I have spent trying to wrap my head around the situation, I think the best place to start is the National Association of Remodeling Industry, otherwise known as NARI. The NARI site has information such as things to look for when selecting a remodeling professional, when you need to hire an architect, and tips for remodeling. The part that I found most helpful is a directory list of all the remodeling contractors that are registered with NARI in your area.
This is really an excellent place to start and overall I found this to be the single best resource online. Read the rest of this entry »
Email This Post
Subcribe to our RSS feed