Lifestyle

What’s Best – The iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini?

April 29, 2013

I was thinking about all the uses for mobile devices, and the natural question came of of which one to choose. The iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini (sorry Android fans, I haven't owned one ‘yet').

Fortunately my friend Greg Gazin, The Gadget Guy, from Digitally Speaking stopped by one day, so I asked him to give some insight on each of the devices.

Here's the video:

YouTube link

Something I learned

One thing I learned from Greg during the interview was that the iPad and iPad Mini both have the same screen resolution.

In my mind, that makes a discussion about buying a Mini way more relevant, as you can present with the Mini, and not have to worry that something created on a regular iPad won't look the same on the screen (or projector).

Which one do I need? The iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini

Obviously, what you “need” depends on what you want to do with it, and partly on how much money you have to spend.

Greg goes through a few scenarios and describes some different uses for each device.

P.S. Starting at about 4:06, you can watch what Greg says when I ask which one people should get (link to 4:06 of the video). Too funny.

Contact Greg

If you have any questions for Greg about the iPhone, iPad, or iPad Mini, you can leave them in the comments below, or connect with him via social media.

Greg Gazin a.k.a “The Gadget Guy” is a Tech Columnist, Small Business and Technology Speaker. He can be reached at Gadgetguy.CA on Twitter @gadgetgreg or you can find him on Empire Avenue at (e)GADGET1.

Getting Better Audio From a Smartphone Lavalier Mic

March 12, 2013

Here's a tool that I found helps me get better audio from a smartphone, like my iPhone 5. It works great for both audio and video recordings.

Link to Video on YouTube

I've been looking for a solution for while, as a way to help me make better videos from my phone.

Regular consumer mics won't work

The reason why it's been tough to find a mic that does a good job is because regular microphones won't work in the input without some help. I didn't realize that at first, and ended up spending time changing batteries in existing mics I own, trying to figure out what was wrong.

I won't go into the painful detail (which I probably don't know all of), but suffice it to say that what most modern smartphones need is a 3.5″ TRRS input jack.

What about an adapter?

You can go ahead and buy an adapter, but they usually cost about $25. You may also need a slightly different adapter if the “regular” microphone you're using has a battery on it.

This may not be a huge deal, but if you're just looking for something simple that works, it starts making things complicated.

Is this new mic any good?

I'm really diggin' this new mic. It's called the Edutige EIS-003.

The day I got the Edutige, I went out and I shot 11 of the remaining scenes for the Siri Top 40 countdown. I was trying to change up the videos a bit, and having a good mic that travels well, helped me take some great video. In case you're wondering, that means I'm now over 1/2 way done with shooting the Top 30. You can start looking for that really soon.

This post's video shows me using the Edutige, and lets you hear he raw audio. I haven't made any changes to the audio.

I've tried a lot of Lavalier mics in the past, and I think this one ranks up there with the better ones.

Here's what I liked:

Durable cable is thicker than most low to mid range lavalier mics
Works with most Smartphones
You can just use the stubby mic to record lectures
It comes with a nice pouch. It's perfect for quickly stuffing the cable into and keeping it protected
Price was OK. A little high for EVERYONE, but good for someone looking to invest a little in better recordings.
No battery needed. That saves $$$ and the hassle of changing them.

Two-part microphone

This microphone is broken down into two parts.

The Edutige EIS-003 is only a small little knob. That's what you plug into your phone if all you want is to record a lecture or interview.

The Smartline ESL-001 is what makes everything cool for me. It's a 4′ extension that also has a clip (thus creating a lavalier mic), and a volume input for the mic.

How much does it cost?

I paid $36 for the Edutige EIS-003 and $25 for the Smartline ESL-001 on Amazon for a total cost of $61.

When I checked the Canadian prices ($70 just for EIS-003), they ended up being a little high, so I had it shipped in from the States. That cost me an extra $11 in shipping and $5 in import duties for a total cost of just over $77.

Overall, I've been happy.

My Favourite Smartphone RSS Reader

February 13, 2013

Here's a cool smartphone RSS reader that’ll make reading news in your feeds more effective and efficient.

Feedly smartphone RSS reader

This videos shows a smartphone RSS reader called Feedly. I demonstrate the interface, which I think is simple, clean, and intuitive and I’ll go over one great benefit that makes it an even better choice.

Feedly works great when you incorporate it with a feed aggregator like Google Reader, YouTube, Google News, Alerts, any other kind of feeds you can think of.

I love the idea of combining things, especially when they're free.

Feedly now incorporates Buffer right into the app.

Watch on YouTube

What is Buffer?

Buffer is a way to share content over your social networks like twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The reason for using Buffer is that it allows you to schedule posts throughout the day. You can select times during the day that you’d like to share, and then you just go in and find things to share.

The scheduling aspect isn’t any different than other tools like, for instance, Hootlet for HootSuite, but the simplicity that buffer provides is what makes it incredibly useful.

For more information you can visit youremakingme.com, or you can watch other smartphone videos on my YouTube channel.

Did this post resonate with you?

If so, please leave a comment. I love getting feedback. Or, you can feel free to share via social media.

I Just Got Trained For My First Video Conference

September 2, 2011

video-conference I just had the opportunity to do two hours worth of training for a video conference I’m giving next Thursday. Although I’m no stranger to presentations, I've never done an actual video conference before.

If you’re wondering what a video conference is, it’s where people go to several different geographic locations and then all dial into a virtual meeting place to listen to some people like me present information. I’m sure many of you have been in them before, but it’s going to be cool to actually run one. I’ll be simultaneously presenting to 7 different cities and I’m pumped about it.

I had a chance to get an overview of video conferencing procedures, as well as etiquette from a great instructor named Barb, so I wanted to share a few of the takeaways.

The broadcasting myth

People often use the term broadcasting when talking about a video conference. Barb told me that you can't call it that. Broadcasting is 1-way. Video conferencing allows for communication back and forth.

That little video box where you can see yourself is called a…

Comfort Mirror. That’s the pro term for the video of you up on the screen. In a video conference, your comfort mirror can be a bit deceiving. You see everything in real time, while other sites may have a lag. Barb demonstrated how playing a video on my screen would look perfect, but it would be pixelated and jumpy to others (even using a high-definition equipment on a good line). An easy fix is to either provide a link or ask the site facilitators to download the video ahead of time, so each site can independently play the video.

Choose an order to ask questions and stick to it

This last tip was something that made me sit up and pay attention.It was to start with the same site every time you open the floor to questions and then proceed in the exact same order until you've gone through all the locations.

It turns out this tip is to help out the site facilitators (the person helping you at every site). Asking in the same order every time, helps the facilitators know when their site is going to be called on. It's not meant to pick on any one location over the other.

Barb said that some educators feel it takes the spontaneity out of the process, but you have to remember that you're referring to groups and not individuals. This method also helps guard against one or two people controlling the conversation.

Please share your tips

I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, feel free to give me any tips you have on video conferencing.

Updated Sept 9, 2011

aftermath I’m just sitting down on the day after my first multi-site video conference to look back at how things went. I mentioned I`d be doing one in an earlier post.

Overall, I feel my first video conference was a complete success.

It`s definitely more complicated than doing a webinar.

In a video conference, the site facilitators from all the sites link up about 30 minutes before the scheduled start time in order to iron out any technical difficulties that might arise.

In our case, there were two sites needing a little attention to get up and running, so there was plenty of time to do that. My site facilitator took care of all the issues and let me relax up until I went live. It really helped that she was a tech wizard and total pro.

We ended up starting right on time, and my session went exactly 90 minutes as requested.

I messed up

You might get a kick out of this… I did have one slip up.

There was a point where I’d explained the directions for an activity. I then (or so I thought) pressed the mute button. I turned to my facilitator and said, “Should that have been clearer?” She pursed her lips and gave me a pointing gesture, meaning YOU’RE MICROPHONE`S LIVE.

Yikes!

It wasn’t a big thing, but since I have plenty of experience with microphones, it shouldn’t have happened. At least I know I’m still human Winking smile .

Anyway, it was a great, positive experience, and I can`t wait to do it again.

Can Using the Stroop Effect Make You Smarter?

March 31, 2011

If you’ve ever taken a psychology class, you’ve no doubt heard of the Stroop effect. It’s one of the most cited studies ever.

The effect is named for John Ridley Stroop, who published a paper in 1935. The idea goes back even further to a pair of German researchers in 1929.

The Stroop effect is all about something called interference. In the study, people were asked to say the ‘colour’ of the the words being presented. That sounds simple enough, but it becomes much more difficult when the words you’re looking are the say different colours than the fonts they’re written in.

Here’s an example. Look at the image below. Say the colour of the word, not the word that’s written.

stroop-effect-gif

The top row should have been easy for you, because the written colour names match up with the font colours. The bottom row is tougher, because of the interference from your knowledge of English.

When you look at the words on the bottom, you see both the meaning and the colour of the words. Since you’ve learned in school that the words themselves are more important the than colour they’re written in, you’re more apt to focus on the written word. At least that’s what a lot of the research suggests is happening.

Is this effective brain exercise

I’ve read a lot of research on the Stroop Effect, but I haven’t found much credible evidence to suggest it will enhance your intelligence.

From my own personal experimentation, playing with the Stroop effect definitely gives the brain a workout, so give it a shot and see how it works for you.

Stroop effect tools

There aren’t many good tools out there for the stroop effect. I’ve listed a few below for you to check out. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing a good one.

Ontario Science Centre – has a Stroop effect tool that changes the colours, but the words stay the same, so it’s not completely random. EDIT: This link no longer works so it's been removed.

Washington University has a nice looking Stroop effect tool, but there are only a few charts before they repeat.

The first Brain Age for the Game Boy (affiliate link) has the Stroop effect as well as other games, built in.

There’s also an iPhone app called Stroop Effect, that gets you to tap the colour of word.

Mark Twain Autobiography Ready 100 Years After His Death

May 26, 2010

mark-twain-autobiography Mark Twain (1835-1910), one of the greatest American writers, left specific instruction after his death in 1910 that his autobiography was not to be published for 100 years.

The University of California, Berkeley has stored Twain’s 5000 page manuscript and has been working diligently to edit and prepare it for release later this year in November.

It’s widely speculated that the autobiography will give us a deeper understanding of the man who was wildly popular at the turn of the last century. Many believe the reason why Twain asked for the publication delay is that the autobiography holds nothing back as he discusses presidents, associates, and his relationship with his “secretary” Isabel Van Kleek Lyon.

In the past, three other books were released with the autobiography label attached, but much of the material intended to be released by Twain, has still not been seen by the public.

No matter what comes out in the documents, Twain’s place in history as one of the greatest communicators of that era is secure.

Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and gave captivating oratorical speeches to packed houses around the world. Like many people know, Samuel Langhorne Clemens is the real name of the author. Mark Twain (literally meaning Mark number two) comes from the Mississippi river boats. It refers to the second mark on the rope used to measure depth. Mark Twain, two fathoms (12’), is a safe depth for river boats.

How To Make Yourself Smarter: Using Colors

April 13, 2010

owl How do you know if someone is smart or not? It’s usually by the way they communicate. Today I’m bringing you an effective technique that will help you feel smarter when speaking.

Here’s the thing. When you believe in your abilities, you get excited about demonstrating them. I’d like to encourage you today to increase your powers of observation by learning and using more shades of colors. The more closely you observe your surroundings, the better the chances of you remembering them. You’ll also sound smarter by using more descriptive color names.

Improve Your Color Vocabulary

I strongly suggest that you learn and use the names of more of the world’s beautiful colors. You’ve probably heard of many of these colors already, but if you're like most people, you don't use them when describing objects, and the colors probably don’t come to mind when you’re thinking, “What color is that car?” The point of this exercise is to expand your descriptive capabilities. Give it a shot. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Note: Colors look slightly different when they are on-screen Vs. real life (print, everyday objects), so remember that your favourite color might look slightly different depending on where you’re viewing it.

I’ve included some shades of red in the image above for your reference. All you need to do is print off this selection (or mentally study the page), and then go around looking for objects of that color until it’s part of your vocabulary.

For more colors, check out this list on Wikipedia (scroll to the very bottom of the page). The web colors page is good too (scroll about 1/4 of the way down the screen).

Start with web colors

If you don’t want to go all out, I’d recommend starting to use the web colors. These shades are popular and will help you start expanding your usable color vocabulary. These are the colors that graphic designers use for web pages.

Symbolism of color

Colors are also strongly ingrained in every world culture. Depending on where you go, the colors you wear or present yourself with can have different impacts. Knowledge of This can be useful when communicating with people from other cultures.

Here’s a useful link to an article on color and culture.

Make color part of your day

The exercise for improving your color vocabulary is simple. Look at some of the examples I’ve provided here and then go out and describe your surroundings using your new color words. Just describe what you see. “I see a teal car driving past the fuchsia mailbox.” You can also use your enhanced color skills in your every-day speech. Most other people are familiar enough with the colors to know what you’re talking about, so unless you pick a really obscure color, don’t worry about it.

In closing, remember that when you pay attention, you stand a better chance of remembering. If you’re conscious of the colors around you and the words you use, you’ll feel smarter too. This is just a small change, but it’s like the You’re Making Me motto says, “It’s the little things you do each day that make you great.”

Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It

April 6, 2010

pipe

René Magritte created a famous painting of a pipe with text along the bottom reading (in French), “This is not a pipe.”

When people questioned Magritte about his painting, he responded by saying, “No, it's just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture ‘This is a pipe,’ I'd have been lying.”

How does perception apply to me?

(Bear with me for 3 sentences…and I’ll get the the point. I promise.)

This painting is a good example of how differing people perceive the world in different ways. Our reality is coloured by the references we use to interpret the world around us. The ‘life’ you experience is simply your personal version of reality. It’s important to know that everyone else in the world also has a little bubble of their own.

What’s the point?

Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing some articles on how you can enhance and broaden the way you see the world. When you are able to see the world from more angles you will be able to communicate more clearly with others around you.

When you can communicate well with others, you can be and do pretty much anything you want in life.

P.S.The exercises aren’t tough, but I promise to make the experience worth your while.

My New Book – Diamonds and Silver

February 19, 2010

My new book, Diamonds and Silver, is now out and available for purchase. It’s been a great experience writing it and I’m excited about hearing reader feedback.

Here’s a description of the book, as taken from the preface:

Why I wrote the book

I came across the idea for Diamonds and Silver when I was asked to speak for a charity called The Mosaic of Hope in Calgary, Alberta. One of the organizers described one of the types of people the charity helps as being children who sift through refuse in garbage dumps, so they can feed themselves. This really struck a chord with me.

I decided I would write a fictional story starring a child from the dumps; someone who most people would label as a hopeless case. My goal was to have the book done during the eight months between when I was booked and the event date, but I clearly misjudged how long it takes to write a book. Almost one year to the day after the event, the book is complete and ready to inspire.

What’s the book about?

Our hero is a young man named Milo, who is down on his luck and has been shunned by society, because he lives in the garbage dump. He sets out with his friend to prove his manhood by finding a valuable treasure consisting of diamonds and silver. The boys discover as they travel, that their perceptions change about themselves and everything else in life.

The Diamonds and Silver story reinforces ten real-life lessons I have interwoven into the book. I hope you will be entertained, and also have something to use in the real world once you set the book down. Enjoy the story and the twist in the middle.

Get Your Copy Diamonds and Silver Today!

(My eStore is on CreateSpace, which is owned by Amazon.com)

Book Review: Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds

December 17, 2009

I read Presentation Zen a few months ago and I've been meaning to do a review of it for a while now. I’ve broken things down based on what I consider the pros and cons of the book.

Pros:

I like the fact that Garr tells readers to forget the clipart in their presentation. We've all seen the negative side of clipart. He takes things one step further and recommends some great sites for beautiful photos that are free or nearly free.
Garr Reynolds has created some of the nicest slides out there, so he definitely knows what he's talking about. He demonstrates some of these eye-popping visuals in the book.
He states that not every presentation needs multimedia. Very true. Sometimes simpler is better.
If you say something, don't put it on a slide. This is of course the antidote to the boring slide presentation. Garr reinforces the point that slides should complement what you're saying, and not just a carbon copy.
The Rule of Thirds is mentioned and suggested for slides. Here’s a great tip that you almost never see used in presentations. Camera buffs will be familiar with this rule. You can read Garr’s description on his site, Presentation Zen.

Cons:

I was really taken aback by the small font of the book. It's a book about presentations and the font doesn't seem friendly to me. I've heard other people praise the layout, but to me, tiny font is way too tough to read. You can decide for yourself.
The book felt like a bunch of blog posts strung together. There was plenty of information, but it felt a little disjointed at points.
Some of the good ideas are lost in the text. Many of the best ideas were hidden away in the paragraphs and would not be easily remembered or searchable if someone chose to go back at a later time. I feel they should be numbered and set apart for easier reference.
Some points are only introduced in the sidebar and are never discussed in the main text. This is the opposite of the above point.
Garr does say in the text that he doesn't want to give exact instructions on how to create a slide show and would rather let the reader take what they will from his advice and make their own slides. Unfortunately, most of the people I come across on a daily basis are looking for a detailed list of what to do and how to do it. Time is at a premium these days and people are usually willing to pay more to get more.

Kevin’s Rating: 7/10

Overall, the book was a good read, although there were some spots I really felt like skipping over. As far as presentation books go, this would still be a good choice if you have something coming up.

Let me know what you think of my rating, or add your own below.

Order Presentation Zen on Amazon.com