show how to do stuff, quick and dead easy
DESCRIPTION
An overview for bloggers of (free and easy to use Windows tools) for taking and using Screen Shots and Screencasts.TRANSCRIPT
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Show how to do stuff, quick and dead easy (with screen
shots, audio and online video)
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Problem
• You want to share something you tried/learned... or don't understand…
• ... but never come around it because you lack time
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Why?
• writing down a good step-by-step explanation is hard
• seeing how something is done is easier than reading a procedure
• writing takes a lot of time• recording in real time should be faster
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Disclaimers and caveats
• I don't do this professionally• I've just been playing with some toys,
and hope to save you some time• This is all Windows stuff• Mac users are welcome to know it
better, like always• I'll probably learn from you• (use @pascalvanhecke on Twitter)
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Aim: procedures and tools that • minimize the overhead
– (quick and easy)– Can be executed at the very moment– Eliminate the cruft in our actions
• free, if not cheap• are _not_ the best, or most professional tools• So I'm not going to talk about:
– Camtasia Studio– Adobe Captivate
• And not about these Mac Tools:– Screenflow– Skitch
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I want to tell a story!
• And I'm going to do it live!
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Screenshots: my favouritesetup
• Faststone Capture– Doesn’t get in the way, assumes a lot of
stuff– Alternatives…
• Windows Live Writer• Alternatives:
– Blogdesk– Blogjet..
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Example
• Screenshot of Bart’s blog
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Screenshots posting directly online
• Jing Project• Upload To Flickr immediately• (Lack of tagging)
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Example
• Where’s the OpenID option?
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Easy screencasting: favouritesetup
• Jing Project + own server• embed swf files
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Example
• Posting a comment with OpenID
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Alternative : UtipU
• creates flv files• upload themselves• zoom en follow cursor• Zoom: F9• Pauze: F10
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Example
• Show where the autodiscovery code is
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When you do need to give long explanations
• Editing video + audio is a pain• A lot easier to edit audio + still images• slides + audio as alternative
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Slidecasts
• Slideshare + mp3 file• Pro: easy webbased sync interface• Contra: separate (self) hosting of mp3
file• Alternative: MyPlick
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Powerpoint plugins
• (Camtasia Studio Pwp plugin)• (Screenflow for Keynote)• authorPOINT Lite• free PowerPoint to Flash converter retaining
its effects, sound, animation, and rehearse timings - works with authorstream.com. PPS, PPT to SWF.
• Uploads automatically to Authorstream.com
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Other stuff• Freescreencast.com
– Yet another screencast hosting service + record & upload client (windows only, fairly basic). You can save your .flv file locally. Seems comparable to UtipU.com
• Sketchcast.com– Draw and explain like you were working on a whiteboard. I would
definitely use this if I had a tablet PC...• Screencast-O-Matic
– "This site is offering a free service that allows you to create movies of your screen sessions including audio if you wish. It's currently only a very early beta and the quality is limited but the fact that it requires no special software is a real plus."
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Other stuff (2)
• Camstudio (free and open source)– exports to AVI – (Flash export didn't work for me)
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Help!
• Help me to overcome my inhibitions to post stuff
• Nag me about not posting screencasting
• This is basically a blogger's therapy session
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Who am I?
• http://pascal.vanhecke.info• http://weblog.vanhecke.info• http://links.vanhecke.info• http://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalvanhe
cke