Volume 3, Number 1
page 1
Backup, backup, backup
Reminder: Back up your files. What a simple statement. But doing that one little thing can save much agony if that precious laptop decides to not work as normal or some tragic event occurs to it. You will be glad you did.

Although we aren’t due to have a hurricane to the degree of those that occurred in the south, don’t ever discount unexpected events that interrupt your daily proceedings. Backing up your files regularly will safeguard yourself from unforeseen events. It is a necessary step for sanity.

Files can be saved to the R: network drive or burned to a cd. If you need assistance with this contact the Technology Support Center at x2244.
Podcasts: the Next Big Thing
Technology moves faster than most can keep up with it. But there is one movement that has its base in a technology with which most are already familiar. It is the podcast. A new twist on an established form of multimedia.

A podcast is simple. It is the use of audio in such a way that a “consumer” is able to subscribe to a feed of new audio files. Podcasting gets its name from combining the words, “broadcasting” and “iPod”. However, in no way is this technology solely tied to the use of iPods. Anyone with a computer connected to the Internet and speakers can take advantage of this form of media. And anyone with a microphone and web server space can put their own podcast together.

In a podcast, an independent producer creates an audio file and posts it on a web server. A special feed is created (an xml file) to link to the audio file. Then, a podcast listener uses a piece of software, usually downloaded free on the internet, such as iTunes or iPodder, to connect to this xml file and automatically download the latest installment of a podcast.

This is one of the most exciting advances recently for many reasons. First off, being extremely immersed in the digital music age, not only buying music online, but converting bought cd’s to a digital format, many students are already saavy in this form of technology. This use of audio opens up so many possibilities in the transfer of information, especially for its use in the world of higher education. To see some examples of how they are being used in education, visit http://epnweb.org/.

The podcast is one area of technology that puts the human back in, instead of removing the personal contact. Contact an Instructional Technologist for more information on starting your own podcast.
Convert Your PowerPoints to DVDs
Do you have those PowerPoint presentations you worked on so hard and now want
to show them to a wider audience? Unsure of how you can go about doing this?
Your solution has arrived - and it is in the Faculty Multimedia Resource Center.
PPT2DVD is a software application that converts those presentations into an mpeg movie file or burns them straight
to a DVD.

PPT2DVD allows you to set the background music, the duration of slides, the narration record, and templates. But if you already have everything set up in your file, it allows the settings of the original PowerPoint file to carry over to the finished version. It keeps the slide timing, audio, and animations intact. You can also import more than one PowerPoint file to a project.

PPT2DVD is a user-friendly program that creates a great end product. With the use of this program, you do not need your computer to give a PowerPoint presentation. All you need is a television and DVD player and you are ready to go! Contact one your Instructional Technologist for more information on this software solution.
Audacity: Free Audio Editing Software
If you have ever wanted to convert an audio track or edit a segment of an audio
track but didn’t have the software to do so, Audacity is for you. Audacity is a free
software program that facilitates the editing of audio.

There actually are many audio editors available for download, however Audacity
has many advantages. It has a easy to use and clean interface along with many
features. It supports WAV, AIFF, MP3 and many other file formats. It even allows you to add basic audio features. It’s the best you’ll get for the price of free.

You can use it to edit and combine audio tracks. This feature makes it ideal for podcasting. Record audio through a microphone or digitize previous recordings on other formats. This freeware packs a lot of power. The one drawback is that in order to convert a file to an .mp3, you must download and install a plugin. (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&i=lame-mp3)

For more information on how to use the software, visit http://audacity.sourceforge.net or read the Audacity online user’s manual (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/).