Tag Archives: web applications

GTA Tips & Tricks: PowerPoint Presentations & Wondershare – Embedding YouTube Videos versus Inserting as Files

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If you want to get fancy and use YouTube videos in your PowerPoint (PP) presentations this is the tip for you!
Using Wondershare to download YouTube videos and then insert into PP is more advanced and might be the most useful information, so scroll down below for that section.
Embedding Videos
Embedding YouTube videos is not complex yet sometimes they fail because PP does not like the embed code.
Press Share under the video to grab the code. Check “Use old embed code.” Then press the Embed button. Copy the code in the box. Note: Don’t use the tinyURL link. These links have never worked for me in PP.
Kitten and his box. - YouTube-2.jpg
On the Insert tab in PP, click on the Video drop down menu and choose “Video from Web Site”. Paste the embed code into the box that appears. Cross your fingers and hope it works and a video appears in your PP!!  Note that you will not be able to adjust start time and end time for embedded videos. Instead you need to Insert them as files. See below for a way how.
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WonderShare AllMyTube
There is a free trial of WonderShare for YouTube for both Windows and Mac OS X 
(www.wondershare.com/pro/youtube-downloader.html)
The free trial allows you to download YouTube videos as .FLV files (flash video). In YouTube if you hover over the right corner of a video a Download button will appear, once Wondershare is installed in your computer.  Make sure you choose in preferences in the the AllMyTube application the folder where you want your files to be downloaded and saved.
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You will need to convert the files from .FLV to either .AVI or .WMV.  I’m not going to discuss file conversion in this post. There are many and often operating system specific. Search for one, install and convert the .FLV file. (Alternatively you can purchase the full WonderShare YouTube program, which has a file converter built in. I would recommend this for heavy users of PP.)
Once you have your .AVI or .WMV file make sure the filename has no special characters or quotations. PP does not like the characters and an error will pop up.
Go back to this icon on the Insert tab and choose “Video from File…” from the menu. Navigate to the file and click on Insert.
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A Video Tools Menu should show up when clicked on a video in PP.  Note the Crop tool on the right on the Format tab. Very useful!!!
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This is the Playback tab of Video Tools. Clicking on the Trim Video icon allows you to specify the Start Time and End Time for your videos. Another very useful feature.
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Ok, that’s it!   Now you can elevate your PP presentations to the next level.

GTA Technology Tips & Tricks: Gliffy

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Gliffy is a web-based application for creating flow charts and diagrams. I found this tool very useful in particular for LIS 533: Database Design for Information Management (IT).  I also used it to make an organization chart for LIS 504: Leadership and Management Principles for Library and Information Services.
 
The free basic version allows you to save up to 5 documents when you create an account. You can create UML/ER diagrams, organization charts, Venn diagrams, floor plans, etc. The application allows you to export the diagrams as a jpeg or png file and print to paper or pdf. You can also share and collaborate. A great tool all around!
 
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GTA Technology Tips & Tricks: Screen Capture/Screen Casting/Screen Recording, Photo Editor & Audio Recording

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The below resource summary may be of help to first year students.
A great open source cross-platform tool for recording audio using your computer is a program called Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/). You may need to use this program in 505 for example, when recording and/or editing sound files for interview participants.
If you don’t already know how to capture images from your screen try this:
  • Windows – Print Screen (PrtSc) – For the whole desktop to be captured. Then enter the application you want to deposit it in and paste (Ctrl-V).
  • Windows – Alt-PrtSc – The current open window. Then enter the application you want to deposit it in and paste (Ctrl-V).
    • Note cropping images in Windows requires a photo editor (Microsoft Paint, GIMP/GIMPshop, Paint.NET, Adobe Photoshop Express are all free).
  • Mac OS X – Shift-Command-4 – Hold your trackpad down and pull the cross hairs across the screen to “capture” the image (you are effectively using a crop and capture tool). It will automatically be saved to your desktop.
  • Mac OS X – Shift-Command-3 – An image of the whole screen will be saved to your desktop.
Want to jazz up your presentations (i.e. for that 503 bibliographic assignment I have been hearing about)? Try screen casting/screen recording tools. There are all kinds of open source software online (Adobe Captivate is very good but its professional quality software so you have to pay a lot!), so try these:
They are each slightly different, so you may want to take a quick look at all of them.