Finally Make HD Video Calls Over Skype!
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of faceVsion Technology USA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I like to make video calls with Skype. I like being able to see people and share experiences. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to keep in touch with family is different parts of the world. Video calls on Skype and MSN Messenger have become a part of life for me and my family.
Unfortunately, the video often leaves something to be desired. The little webcam that came with my laptop isn’t that good and it’s hard to find a decent webcam that produces really high quality video. In fact, I was rather surprised to learn that many of the leading webcams out there like the Microsoft Cinema and Logitech Pro 9000 may claim to be HD, but they don’t stream HD over the internet.
This is where the FV touchcam N1 by faceVsion comes in. It’s one of the few webcams out there that offers true HD video streaming over the internet. It does it by having its very own H.264 video encoder built in. In other words, it’s encoding your video in H.264 in real time. This is a big deal because video encoding can be cpu intensive but when it’s done at the hardware level, then it’s seamless to the end user. You can’t have real time streaming of HD unless you have the encoder built into the webcam.
The FV touchcam N1 is actually the first Skype Certified webcam with embedded H.264 encoding, that’s right, the FV touchcam N1 is the first Internet streaming true HD webcam for Skype video calls. It’s sister product is the FV ExpressCombo that provides a great laptop webcam experience through either ExpressCard slot or USB 2.0. For more information check out the faceVision on line store.
When you are ready to buy, the FV touchcam is available through shop.facevsion.com and other value added partners. If you want to save some money, www.shop.facevsion.com is now running a back to school promotion with $10 off any purchase, using the promo code of FVTBTS2 while checkout. That makes it an even better deal.
I just wish I would have had several of these when I was teaching my computer class last semester.
What’s In A High School Computer Class?
A friend was asking me about my experiences teaching computers here the other day, so I thought I’d put up a blog post and share this on Facebook since I’m sure they aren’t the only ones interested in an easy computer class curriculum.
In the second semester of the last school year, I had a chance to teach a computer class to all of the high school students at our small private school. I designed and developed the entire curriculum from the ground up and it was truly an educational experience for both me and my students. I thought going in that the students would be the only ones learning but boy was I wrong when I started realizing how much they already knew and how hungry they were for interesting projects.
I started them out by introducing them to Social Media and making sure they were grounded in at least one social networking site. Next I moved on to Squidoo Lenses. Every student had to make a Squidoo Lens on something that interested them. I wanted to get them writing and sharing about something they were passionate about.
After Squidoo lenses, I introduced them to the world of blogging by sharing some of the more famous blogging sites. I showed them how you could share your views and opinions and also how you could use a blog to make money. John Chow’s blog really struck a cord with some of the boys. For the blogging unit, they had to create a blog, adjust the blog’s theme and then publish several posts on the blog.
Our next project unit was about video. Basically, I divided the class into several groups and they had to produce a 2 minute video of their own creation. I was surprised out how great the quality turned out. I saw a lot of potential in my students from this project.
I added in a unit about Powerpoint just because a couple of the students expressed interest in it, but generally most of the students were a bit bored with it. I allowed them to use to Powerpoint to create a project showing what they had learned over the school year as a final project.
All in all, I’d say it was a great class and while the curriculum wasn’t perfect, it gives a general idea of what to offer in a high school elective computer class.
Maybe It’s Time To Get An MA In Teaching
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.
As some of you already know, I am a teacher. I enjoy teaching my students, I enjoy expanding my horizons, and I enjoy making a difference in people’s lives. Education is one of the greatest gifts we can pass onto others.
As a longtime teacher, I know that having advanced training helps me improve the quality of education that I am providing. This is why I take every training and in-service opportunity that comes along. If there is a seminar being held then you’ll probably find me there.
One advancement that I have wanted for awhile has been a Masters degree. I do feel somewhat constricted with just a BS degree and I know that a Masters would open up many new doors. Unfortunately, the nearest MA program is too far away. Some people have suggested that I study online, but I always thought that studying online meant that I would be sacrificing educational quality.
Well, that’s what I did think. My opinions are changing after reading about the USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC program. Yes, that’s USC as in the University of Southern California. They’ve got an MA program that is ranked #22 among all universities in the US and #9 among private universities according to US News and World Reports. Check out the program information for yourself.
The classes are taught USC faculty members who are at the forefront of modern education innovation and they utilize a state of the art interactive learning environment combined with field experiences in your own hometown. For me, this would mean being able to utilize what I am learning in my own classes right away. I see a huge benefit with this. Best of all, the USC Rossier School of Education has a 100 year history of educating teachers to be agents of change in their own community and schools.
I am very interested in finding out more about this program and I know I’ll be talking about this program with other teachers. Maybe it’s time I get my MA.
Sovereign Message System Introduced
I am currently working on an interesting new type of messaging system. It could be deployed globally or could be a very niche product. Actually, due to the specifications of the system, it would be very niche oriented but it could be quite cool.
I thought about keeping the Soveriegn Message System tight lipped and under the radar, but decided to throw the idea out there and get ideas from other people. Basically, I have a bullet list of some of the specifications. The goal of the system is to put individuals in complete control of their own message/email needs.
- Each person has their own server space
- Each person has their own key and key address, each is totally unique
- Key Addresses correspond to Server Addresses
- Keys correspond to individual mailboxes
- Messages are sent as Encrypted XML
- When messages are sent, they first undergo a ping, if the sender key is on an approved list then the message is uploaded to the recipient server. If not then a message is left asking the recipient to authorize the message. (This behavior can be changed via security settings.)
- Messages, after decryption, can be read in a standard RSS/Atom reader.
At its heart, the Sovereign Message System basically entails people adding to each others personal RSS/Atom feed. At all times the individual retains control over their own email and through authoritative key address servers (operating in the same way as RSA key servers do).
I’d love to hear feedback on this idea.
Considering A Trip To Branson
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.
It’s been years since I was last in Branson, Missouri. Branson was just starting to bloom when I was there in 1992. Even though it was small, there was still a lot of great things to do. I keep putting a trip back there off, but after watching a recent feature on CNN and seeing the two Hilton hotels there, I think it might be a good time to make a trip there with the family.
Back in 1992, I took the time to visit a couple of shows and spend some time at Branson Landing. I also took in a Passion Play. Actually there were a lot of things to do in that little area of the Ozarks. Seeing the list of activities available there now is absolutely mind boggling. I don’t think you could even scratch the surface with a one week trip there.
Branson seems to have done something really remarkable, they have stayed down home but also moved up market. For example, the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is a first class hotel with awesome amenities. It’s located in an historic downtown area and it really fits in. It’s awesome views of Lake Taneycomo are definitely worth it. Meanwhile the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is everything you’d expect in a quality convention center type hotel.
I think I’d choose the Hilton Promenade to stay at in Branson if I had the choice, just because it’s near some of the very historic places and not far from the Payne Stewart Golf Course and Lake Taneycomo. They also have a great package with Silver Dollar City. Actually many great packages available, but the kids would Silver Dollar City.
Of course you don’t go to Branson just to stay in a hotel, you go to see the shows and go to do some playing. That means playing golf at any of the top of the line golf courses around Branson. It means taking in Silver Dollar City for the rides. It means taking in a Branson show every night.
Some shows that I know I’d to see there with my family would be the Yakov Smirnoff show, the Andy Williams show at the Moon River Theatre, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede and Shoji Tabuchi. I don’t think I could fit them all in a short trip.
Anyways, the more I think about it, the more I need to make a trip to Branson this Christmas.
Enjoying Things Here
I can’t believe that it’s been about a year since my last trip. It’s fun doing everything around here, whether it’s the beaches, the resorts or the mountains. It seems like I can always find a lot to do here locally. This is a big change for someone who spent the better part of 12 years doing nothing but traveling throughout the US, Latin America and Asia. I am now happily place bound for the time being.
Sure there are places that I’d love to go and visit. I’d love to take a cross country trip with the family to see some of the great places I traveled to alone, but that can wait until Christmas time. Right now I am enjoying the sites and wonders of this place.
I have went ahead and put in a couple of the pictures me and my wife have taken over the last year and a half here. I think you’ll enjoy them.
NMEDA: Helping Disabled People Be More Mobile
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Mobility is important for everyone. Can you imagine living your life without your own transportation? Can you imagine how it would be trying to do your daily errands without your own car? People with disabilities face this same problem every day.
NMEDA is the national organization that looks out for those with those with mobility issues. They are focused on promoting safe driving and equipment for disabled people. They are non-profit and don’t sell anything, instead they are focused on helping disabled people.
NMEDA helps people locate local dealers of handicap vans and vehicle modifications that adhere to NMEDA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requirements. You can go to their site and enter your zip code and you’ll find the dealer located closest to you. I was a little surprised that there wasn’t one listed for Hawaii but hopefully that will change in the near future. If you want to, go ahead and look at the site and post the one closest to you here in the comments.
More than just providing a link to dealers, NMEDA also has a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) that is focused on ensuring that customers are satisfied consistently through a systematic and documented approach to quality. The NMEDA QAP is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry.
If you or anyone you know might be interested in improving their mobility, I suggest that you take a look at the NMEDA site and see how an NMEDA dealer can help them regain their mobility.
Fluorescent Lights: Cut Power Your Power Bill
One of the ways that we can cut our power bills significantly is through the use of fluorescent lighting. Unfortunately there is some misinformation out there on how to properly take advantage of fluorescent lighting and I write this to clear up some of it.
The old adage that it costs less money to leave fluorescent lights on than turn them off is just not correct anymore. In a pure energy savings basis, it’s better to turn off the lights even if you are leaving the room for a minute. The so called energy surge to turn on the lights lasts just 1/60 of a second.
If you factor in the cost of the bulbs and the extra wear and tear turning them on costs you, the time period for turning off when you leave the room is about 5 minutes in most of the US. That means if you are leaving the room for 5 minutes then you’ll save money by turning them off.
With many of the newest compact fluorescent bulbs, we can ignore the advice of even 5 minutes entirely. Our fluorescent has advanced that much.
Sometimes you’ll hear that lighting from fluorescent bulbs are not as real as the light from incandescent bulbs. That is just no longer the case. Daylight CF bulbs offer a very nice light and seem even better than the incandescent bulbs they have replaced.
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