There are a number of screen sharing applications out there. Some work to varying degrees on both the Mac and PC.

If you ever attended a webinar and had to go through installing software and plug-ins each time, you may have said never mind.

Screen sharing should be easy.

I’ve tried many solutions and found that there was always something difficult or unsatisfactory about the process.

Today, I was introduced to “join.me” an online provider that doesn’t make you sign up for an account, give them your e-mail, and in a few seconds you can be sharing your screen and inviting up to 250 other people to join you.

I forgot to mention that it’s free. They have a Pro version as well. I can’t wait to take it for a spin. Screen sharing is a great way to collaborate at a distance.

If you have the need to share information, if you do training, or if you’d like to get help and troubleshooting problem on your computer, real-time screen sharing is a great option.

 

This weekend was the official launch of the Wine Country WordPress Meetup. It was a refreshing to be on the receiving end of tips and resources to make my blog better. I learned something new from every person who was there. I appreciate the wisdom in the room. It reminded me that sometimes the most valuable contributions come from holding the space for others to shine.

Building on that idea, I want to share an update on a great resource: SlideShare. They just introduced HTML5 SlideShare. This is important because your slides will now play flawlessly on mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad and Android devices. No more digital divide between the desktop and mobile devices. Everything will display as intended on all platforms.

If you are mobile, take a look at their site and download the new mobile app so you can see clearly where ever you are.

 

I attended a presentation by Kurt Shaver’s at the Bay Area Consultants Network. His topic: ” Get LinkedIn to Sales”.

That’s Kurt to your left. Why is he smiling? He knows the secrets of making LinkedIn work to find customers. Below are a few things I learned from Kurt.

Improve Your Profile

He gave great tips on how to make it easier for people to find you on LinkedIn, the first step if they are going to hire you.

• Use a great photo – a headshot that fills the space, is flattering, and that shows you as the professional you are
• Use keywords to describe yourself and what you do (that’s what people are searching on)
• You can reorder the sections of your profile by dragging and dropping
• Make sure your summary is keyword  rich and describes your accomplishments
• Ask for recommendations

Making changes to Your Profile

I spent about a half an hour and made some significantI changes to my profile .

I  moved sections around and I added a video clip to my profile.I have more updates planned.

See the results on my LinkedIn Profile

Want More Sales?

Kurt teaches how to get more clients using LinkedIn. Find out more here. He has a series of online workshops coming up in August. I give him two thumbs up.

Watch this short clip (49 sec) of Kurt to get a sample of his high energy and high impact training style.

 

It was announced yesterday that Cisco is killing the Flip camera. The Flip camera revolutionize the way we record and post videos to the Internet. The simple interface, low-cost, and fun factor made this camera a hit. No other camera line has been as widely embraced as the Flip.

The Flip got people taking movies and sharing them beyond their immediate friends and family. I would go so far as to say the Flip camera is part of the reason YouTube has exponentially grown and flourished.

There are number of imitators of the Flip in the marketplace. I tried a friend’s Flip before I purchased my first camcorder. There are better cameras available, ones with higher resolution, additional features such as the ability to add an external sound source, removable or expandable memory, but all that aside, the ease with which I could record video and upload it without having to know or navigate more than one menu with the Flip can’t be beat. (I bought a SonyHDR CX110).

The Kodak Z i8 is probably one of the better cameras in that same ease-of-use low price space. It is one of the few cameras in that price range. Kodak also released a less expensive model with higher resolution and no external audio outlet called play sport. I’m sure loyal flip camera enthusiasts will keep using your cameras until they die a natural death.

The Flip was the point-and-shoot equivalent of the camcorder world. While it is sad to say farewell to the Flip, in today’s rapidly changing digital electronic world, a new King or Queen will emerge.

Meanwhile people keep on making making videos and posting them to YouTube using their flip cameras.

It is sad that a big company like Cisco would purchase the Flip camera only to kill it as they have done.

Would you rescue the Flip from its death sentence?

 

I highly recommend the book “Head First WordPress” by Jeff Siarto. The best parts of the book include its humorous yet detailed step-by-step actions and instructions. Part of this series of “brain friendly guides” published by O’Reilly.

There are quizzes, visuals, samples and related website where you can download sample code. From start to finish this book uses a variety of ways to help users master the material. This is a great resource for intermediate to advanced web developers.

As a user of DYI Thesis theme for WordPress, I found this book helps me understand how to customize and make the best use of WordPress for my blog and the blogs I administer or my customers. I have long been a fan of books published by O’Reilly. In part my loyalty and support of O’Reilly comes from the fact they are located nearby in Sebastopol. What really distinguishes  this company is their support for local groups like the North Coast Mac user group. O’Reilly offers a substantial discount on their books and other products to members ncmug.

They participate in a variety of local as well as national events and tradeshows. They host groups like the North Coast Internet Society no charge. Their representatives are friendly, helpful and truly lovers of knowledge and people. The content of their website, their well-designed books, and the expertise contained there in, have me returning to their catalog to find resources for mastering software and concepts.

Visit their website at www.oreilly.com to find the missing manual for almost any software you use and how to books that will help you work smarter.

 

I am documenting the steps for setting up a recording studio in my office. The intention is to give you a how-to guide. You’ll have the information you need to evaluate whether or not you want to replicate these steps yourself. If you do, you will be able to efficiently record yourself in your own office. Or you may decide to focus on creating content and decide to hire talent to do the recording and editing portion of your video marketing.

I’ll tell you what you need: about the tools, hardware and software, the environment, time and money required to create your own recording studio. I’ll even go into expected learning curves for each aspect of doing it yourself.

Why Video?

The value of video in telling your stories and connecting with your audience is huge. YouTube gets more than 200 Billion views daily. I want to help you take your first steps into using video as part of your marketing toolkit.

My recommendations plus the advice and guidance of my partner, a professional videographer,will help inform your decision about how to put your video on the web and beyond. We will outline what you need to know and how to begin. We will include what we have learned so that you can avoid common mistakes and produce video that communicates well to your selected audience. Our goal is to help you evaluate whether or not it makes sense for you to do it yourself, what part of it you can do yourself and when it makes sense to hire professionals to assist you.

We’ll tell you what it costs, the tools we recommend, the time it takes and how you can benefit from video marketing.

Who can benefit most from video?

Speakers, trainers, consultants, people who have a story to tell, those who want to educate, those who want to entertain, those who have an idea to they want to share, or those who are seeking support for a cause.

Resources for storytelling

National Storytelling Network  http://www.storynet.org/

Tim Sheppard’s Storytelling Resources for Storytellers http://www.timsheppard.co.uk/story/

Storytelling Websites  http://www.courses.unt.edu/efiga/STORYTELLING/StorytellingWebsites.htm

Milbre Burch, Storytelling as an Artform  http://www.kindcrone.com/article_2.html

If you have a favorite resource related to storytelling, tell us about it.

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

 

A fellow North Coast Mac User called me. He was interested in animation software for the Mac. He was planning a series of Video podcasts and wanted to create an animated logo. I told him it had been quite a while since I had tried my hand at animation. I used director and flash number of years ago and found I was far better still graphics. I understand the process involved in creating animation. I can direct the process far more effectively than when I am the animator.

I spent a short time today browsing the web to see what I could find in answer to his question. I discovered there are a range of products, a range of skills that are required, and a very large range in price for different solutions. My initial thoughts proved to be true. Animation may look easy when in reality really good animation takes time, talent, and a good deal of patience.

CNET listed a large number of applications for animation. It was obvious to me that the answer to this question was beyond my first-hand knowledge. The CNET site is a great resource and the video which follows will guide you in an overview of using the site to find tools you can use.

The movie you’re about to see (4:35 minutes), was created using Snapz Pro X, an application that can be to have on hand to capture screenshots, movies, and more.

If you have a recommendation of an application that you like and use to create simple animations, please let me know about it.

 

The lure of Amazon often trumps going to your local bookstore. Buying shoes from Zappos can sometimes be easier than purchasing the same items from the shoe store in your town. But, wait, something is missing. The personal touch of your relationship with your neighbors and the people in your community.

When we buy locally it is a vote of confidence in the community. When money stays and circulates with in your local economy, that money circulates many times over and tends to remain among your friends and family. When we send our money overseas, the benefit goes to anonymous companies while our local businesses go wanting. Helping to stimulate local businesses raises the stakes of your investment in a place where you live.

The first 10 years I lived in Sonoma I commuted to work in San Francisco, Napa, and Petaluma. As a commuter, I got the dark, went to work in the dark, and most often, I came home in the dark. My waking hours were spent away from home as were my dollars. Most of my income went outside the community where I live. When I began to work where I live I began to send money more regularly to in the community. One day I realized I was also connecting to people in town. It felt good to exchange money with people I know. It was at that time I finally felt like I was once again part of the economy and the vitality of the place I call home.

With the prevalence and the ease with which all of us can purchase with the click of a mouse, a local businesses need to pay attention to what brings customers in the door. Knowledge and trust are a factor in my buying decisions. Relationships, history, personal care, a sense of belonging, mutual respect, connection, all of these factors play a part in my decision to spend money where I live.

I find mega malls and cookie-cutter shopping experiences boring. I look for unique, one-of-a-kind, special items and shops. I enjoy finding out the stories behind unusual products. When I travel, I want to experience the ambience of the place rather than looking for the same things I can find anywhere. When I’m at home I want to find the special things that make the Valley of the Moon one of the top places to visit and to live.

Just as the locavore movement in food has taken hold, I am an advocate of buying local business services, clothing, whatever I need if it is available locally, I will try that option first before going far afield. But, many times local businesses are unaware that they are making it hard to buy from them. They make price their goods and services higher without providing premium service or connection. Those local businesses that get it right are involved, aware and engaged with those they serve.

Some of my friends created a network of local businesses, business owners, independent contractors, and people who live inside of Sonoma Valley. The group they created is a combination of online and face-to-face interaction. They initially started the group to fill a need they had and a desire to find talent within the geographical radius of Sonoma Valley. Because they created WiredSonoma, new businesses have started, people found people to populate their businesses, and individuals in the community are more connected to each other.

Before you consider outsourcing hitting the button and making a purchase online, or sending the work you have overseas or outside of your community, take time to explore whether it is possible to find what you need in your own backyard. You may be surprised that just what you need is a close as your next-door neighbor.

When you are in need of a friend to comfort you in times of trouble or when you want to celebrate a success, will that anonymous online presence answer your call at 3 am? Will they be there to help you move into your new house or say a prayer when someone you love is hurt? Get to know your neighbors. And make a difference.

This is a photo of my friends, Randy and Deb Myers. He is wearing a hat I brought back from a fabulous hat store in New Orleans, Meyers Hats. Myers Hats is a family owned business, with five generations of Meyers on board. I was thinking of Randy on our vacation in New Orleans. When we saw the name of the store, we had to go in and they helped us find just the right hat and fit for our friend. We were delighted to bring bag this piece of the Crescent City in the form of a hat for Randy.

Randy is battling cancer. Both he and Deb have given to those they know and now it is time to give back.If you live in Sonoma County, come and help support my dear friends, Randy and Deborah Myers at the Create Ease Benefit, October 24, 2010. If you can’t come in person, you can make a donation at www.AstateofEase.com

 

I have become obsessed with research and testing of screen capture tools. I was reminded via email about another great product from TechSmith. They are in beta for the Mac version of Snagit. Snagit is a very cool tool for screen capture. Those of you in the PC world are probably already familiar with it.  It is great for recording still images from your computer screen or for grabbing images from your web browser window.

I spent a few minutes today checking out the various tools. It has a wonderful array of tools, including call out boxes, highlighters pen effects, a variety of border styles and one special effect that really rocks, you can select perspective with a reflection to simulate depth. And did I mention you can change the opacity of any of your markup tools or callout boxes? This is slick.

Another big plus, you can save your capture in a variety of formats, bmp, jpg, png, pdf and they have built in a “share” feature so you can email your capture with ease.

TechSmith pays attention to the details. They have try before you buy downloads of their software. If you are looking for a well designed and feature friendly application, I strongly recommend that you download a beta trial now if you are on a Mac and if you are on a PC, try it and buy it.

SnagIt Beta for the Mac Click to listen to this post

 

Friday I spent the day at the Social Media 2010 Conference organized by Roohi Moola of Neighborhood Now. It was the first conference of its kind held in Sonoma County. There were about 200 participants and we had speakers from as far away as Atlanta. I captured short videos of the speakers and attendees.

Saturday was the NBAUG (North Bay Adobe User Group) super Saturday Meeting. Cyndi Reese of Santa Rosa Junior College is the force behind this wonderful group.  The group meets eight times a year. It is an Adobe supported user group and they provide prizes and speakers.

Saturday and Sunday: I am participating in a Social Media Workshop facilitated by Karen Clark of MyBusinessPressence.com at the Doubletree Hotel. Karen has used social media to grow two businesses she owns and is a trainer and speaker on all things related to social media.

If you are luck enough to live in Sonoma, check out WiredSonoma. It is an interactive community for those of us who live in Sonoma and we have an online community and face-to-face events.

Love all things Macintosh? Check out the North Coast Mac Users Group – now in its 25th year. We have monthly meetings, special interest groups and a Mac Computer Expo in October each year.  Helpful, friendly and we have people from all over the North Bay and beyond as members. See more at www.ncmug.org

These are just a few of the social media and computer resources in Sonoma County.

What tools and resources do you love and use in and about Sonoma County, California?