Veescope Hub

Veescope Hub:

"Convert any Quicktime compatible movie file to a new Quicktime, MP4, DV or AVI file."

For Mac folks only..Yes, it's free!

Pluto gets a new name: plutoid

Plutoid:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pluto, demoted from planet status in 2006, got a consolation prize on Wednesday -- it and other dwarf planets like it will be called plutoids."

A Flashy Facebook Page

A Flashy Facebook Page, at a Cost to Privacy

"Facebook fanatics who have covered their profiles on the popular social networking site with silly games and quirky trivia quizzes may be unknowingly giving a host of strangers an intimate peek at their lives."

15 Tools to Help You Develop Faster Web Pages

15 Tools to Help You Develop Faster Web Pages

"Response times, availability, and stability are vital factors to bear in mind when creating and maintaining a web application. If you’re concerned about your web pages’ speed or want to make sure you’re in tip-top shape before starting or launching a project, here’s a few useful, free tools to help you create and sustain high-performance web applications."

Where is My User Guide??

Find your user guide, user guide, instruction manual or owner manual instantly !:

So much time wasted looking all over the place for the instruction manual to tune the tv-set, find the printer cartridge replacement how-to, the meaning of the blinking led on the dashboard. How many user manuals available only on cd-rom, on the internet ?

On this site you will easily be able to find the required instruction guides and user manuals that you need.

Copy Music from Your iPhone or iPod to Your Computer for Free

IPod: Copy Music from Your iPhone or iPod to Your Computer for Free:

"There as many applications and methods for copying music from an iPod to your computer as there are iPod models themselves, which makes finding a sure-fire, free solution a matter of tedious trial and error. To save you the work, today we're rounding up the best tools and techniques for getting music off any model iPod onto nearly any computer—for free. Whether you're a Windows user looking to yank tunes from an iPhone, a Mac fan backing up an iPod classic, or a Linux enthusiast trying to get into your new nano, we've got you covered. Follow along for a detailed look at the best ways to transfer songs from your iPod to your computer, no matter what hardware or operating system you're rocking."

The Power of Educational Technology

Why I love So You Think You Can Dance:

"We as educators can learn so much from watching these dancers grow and push themselves and work hard to overcome their weaknesses. As experienced teachers we are used to being good at what we do. When we come to a challenge, like using new technologies in the classroom, it can feel very uncomfortable. We don't like to look 'dumb' in front of our students. Stepping out of your comfort zone while others are watching makes it that much harder to do. These dancers inspire me to keep working, not give up and continue to try different strategies when things don't go the way I had hoped."

Everything I know in 15 minutes

Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog:

"Too often in education we look to the “big animals” to lead and create meaningful changes – the national department of education, our state departments, over-priced consultants, and district office staff.

But ask yourself honestly: Who will have the greatest impact on education: The Department of Education or each of us making a few small changes every year, everyday?"

Don't Make Me Think (video)

Peachpit: Don't Make Me Think (video):

"In this interview, which took place at the inaugural Voices That Matter: Web Design conference (voicesthatmatter.com), author Steve Krug ('Don’t Make Me Think!') discusses his landmark book. Learn what Steve’s favorite sites are and how he came up with the title of his classic book. Other topics include simple Web design and user testing."

Free Open Source Counterparts of Windows Software

Free Open Source Counterparts of Windows Software | MakeUseOf.com:

"Why would you want to have Open Source software on your computer? Let’s consider a few reasons:
(1) First reason that every one thinks of is that Open Source software is free of cost, well it certainly is about 95% of the time but it can be paid too although the license will be less restrictive. Nevertheless it can save you hundreds of dollars.

(2) Another often overlooked aspect is that you can have full access to the source code of the software. This is a great blessing for someone who needs the ultimate customization.

(3) You can actually help in the development by fixing bugs, releasing your changes to the code (in accordance with the license of course).

(4) They may also offer more features then their commercial counterparts."

Is your company ready for the Apple Invasion?

Is your company ready for the Apple Invasion?:

"In a survey of 250 diverse companies that has yet to be released, the market research firm Yankee Group found that 87% now have at least some Apple computers in their offices, up from 48% two years ago."

New to the Mac and Compatibility with Windows

Apple - Seminars Online - New to the Mac and Compatibility with Windows:

"The Mac is the best tool for both the office and the home, making it the ideal computer for a business. If you're one of the many businesspeople who is contemplating a move from another computer to the Mac, watch this online seminar to pick up useful tips and valuable information to help you make the transition seamless. Kenny Lee, from Apple's Small Business Marketing group, and Travis Fears from the Apple Store San Francisco present and demo specific content for new Mac business users."


You need to register first...

Windows 7

Windows 7: Windows 7 Features Revealed

The biggest "feature" is the touch and multi-touch integration, which takes many of its roots from Microsoft's Surface Table, and will be available as an interface options for other apps. Here's some more stuff they pulled out, which we captured in photos here.

• There will be a OSX-like dock, though how OS X-like is yet to be seen.
• Multi-touch gestures in photogalleries like two-finger zoom, flicking, and panning. Think of the photo app on the Microsoft Surface table.
• Multi-touch paint program where you can draw with 10 fingers (again, think of what you've already seen in Surface)
• Multi-touch piano app
• In-depth mapping application that pulls from Microsoft's Live Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth

Looks like a LOT of the multi-touch features were culled from the Surface team, and the non-touch features look fairly similar to what's already in Vista (based on the video above). Those apps are demo apps only, and will be revised/rewritten/reworked before the final version of Windows 7 is available. All this will be yours in about 18 months.

So, in reality..maybe 3-4 years?

UpTake - Your First Step to a Great Trip

UpTake

"UpTake is a travel information search engine - we help you decide where to go, where to stay or what to do. We're here to help you make informed decisions about what best fits your travel preferences. We have scoured the web to collect 400,000 U.S. hotels and attractions. Then we analyzed and organized millions of travelers' opinions to enable you to search based on your exact travel requirements and preferences."

Robert Ballard will WOW you

TipLine - Gates' Computer Tips: [TIPS] Robert Ballard will WOW you in this TED video

"If I had seen this video when I was 17 I would have spent the rest of my life in this field. In this TED video Robert Ballard will excite you about the wonderful, AMAZING underwater world. This talk is impossible to describe. But, I want you to send this to your favorite Science teacher who teachers earth science. I'm telling you, I FIRMLY believe that this talk will change a student's life."

How to answer 23 of the most common interview questions

How to answer 23 of the most common interview questions | The Best Article Every day

Remember, being interviewed is a skill, and if you do the preparation you should ace it every time.

Is PowerPoint Evil?

ZaidLearn: Is PowerPoint Evil? (Part 3):

"'Of course, PowerPoint is not inherently evil, it is just poorly used...'
- Stephen Downes"

What does it mean to be ‘digitally literate’?

What does it mean to be ‘digitally literate’? at dougbelshaw.com:

"Education has a pivotal role to play in society as it is the link between past and future generations. In the past this link has been relatively easy to achieve, as the knowledge and skills useful to acquire would vary only slightly within a generation. In the brave new world of digital technology, however, fundamental shifts in required knowledge skill sets and knowledge can occur several times within a generation."

Understanding Layers in Photoshop

Understanding Layers in Photoshop:

A lot of people have asked me to explain layers in graphics programs. This site really does a great explanation of them.

Stunning Desktop Wallpapers

More (Really) Stunning Desktop Wallpapers | Graphics | Smashing Magazine

All sizes...one price: FREE...

1000s of Museums Online

1000s of Museums Online : MuseumStuff.com

Museumstuff.com is dedicated to creating a web based guide to museum related information. This information includes links to museum websites and virtual exhibits, educational and entertaining games and activities, and extensive learning resources concerning topics typically promoted through art, science and history museums. This is a site for the general public, with particular emphasis on family oriented content. Their goal is to help the public interact in meaningful ways with museums in the digital age, and expand the potential for museums to serve as educational instruments for the public.

BookletCreator - create a booklet from any PDF document

BookletCreator - create a booklet from any PDF document
Just came across this web site. Not sure if it works or to what degree but it might be worth trying since it is free.

Web 2.0 Expo SF 2008 Videos

Matt Mullenweg (WordPress) at Web 2.0 Expo SF 2008 - Web2Expo on blip.tv: "

Web 2.0 Expo is a global annual gathering of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals who are building the next generation web. Web 2.0 Expo features the most innovative and successful Internet industry figures and companies providing attendees with examples of business models, development paradigms, and design strategies to enable mainstream businesses and new arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities. Web 2.0 Expo is co-produced by O'Reilly Media and TechWeb."

You may want to check out Tim O'Reilly's presentation. He coined the Web 2.0 term and discusses the core of Web 2.0 and some deep trends:

The first one is that the Internet really is becoming the platform, a global platform for everything, everything connected, and the nature of that platform is this amazing tool for harnessing collective intelligence. It's not just about participation. It's about literally we are building a platform to make the world smarter, to make businesses smarter, to make ourselves smarter. This is an amazing revolution in human augmentation. We're at a turning point akin to literacy, or the formation of cities. This is a huge change in the way the world works.

The home page for the conference can be found on the O'Reilly site and is well worth perusing.

Blogging helps encourage teen writing

Top News - Blogging helps encourage teen writing:

"Most students (82 percent) believe that additional instruction and focus on writing in school would help improve their writing even further--and more than three-quarters of those surveyed (78 percent) think it would help their writing if their teachers used computer-based writing tools such as games, multimedia, or writing software programs or web sites during class."

The Power of Educational Technology

The Power of Educational Technology: AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE

Using Web 2.0 tools in education!

When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web

When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web - washingtonpost.com

More information on Facebook and MySpace teacher profiles and what states and districts are doing.

TED | Talks | Hector Ruiz: The power to connect the world (video)

Hector Ruiz: The power to connect the world (video):
Hector Ruiz talks about his commitment to expanding access to the Internet throughout the world. Ruiz is the CEO of AMD, and through AMD's 50x15 initiative, Ruiz and his company hope to connect 50 percent of the world to the Internet by 2015. Sharing his own extraordinary life story, Ruiz makes the case that access to education and new ideas is life-changing!

TED | Talks | Brian Cox: What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider (video)

Brian Cox: What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider (video)

Rock star physicist" Brian Cox talks about his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Discussing the biggest of big science in an engaging, accessible way, Cox brings us along on a tour of the massive complex and describes his part in it -- and the vital role it's going to play in understanding our universe.

American Association of School Administrators - Blocking the Future

The School Administrator - Blocking the Future

From another blog:

Once again, Dr Scott McLeod has a post that I think should be read by every School District administrator. At the very least it is EXCELLENT food for thought. Here it is: http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2008/05/blocking-the-fu.html. In it he points to this article: http://snipurl.com/blockingthefuture (Now I know that many of you won't be able to use that link as it's a snipurl link and someone has decided to block that, so you'll have to read this at home.)

Now, here's the thing. This is an excellent article, and it's especially important to those districts that block blogs because, "We don't allow blogs in our school." You need, then, to access this post from home. And when you're done reading the post, ask yourself where your district falls with this statement: "[S]chool district leaders have a critical choice to make: Will their schools pro-actively model and teach the safe and appropriate use of these digital tools or will they reactively block them out and leave students and families to fend for themselves?"

Google For Educators

Google for educators is a landing spot for classroom resources that incorporate Google products like Google Earth, SketchUp, Maps, and Sky. The site offers everything from simple links to the aforementioned products, to classroom activities for various K-12 grade levels.

There are downloadable PDF posters covering Google search tips for kids, Google Scholar, Book Search, and Google Earth, and there are activities that utilize various media like PDFs, wikis, podcasts, and websites. These activities are organized by grade level: K-5, 6-12, and "all levels."

The Google for educators site also links to their "teacher community" which is a Google group filled with threads about using the many Google offerings in a school classroom.

35 Useful Source Code Editors

35 Useful Source Code Editors Reviewed | Developer's Toolbox | Smashing Magazine:

"To edit HTML- and CSS-code you only need a simple plaintext-editor — the rest depends on your skills and your creativity. However, to make your life a little bit easier, you can use some more comfortable source-code editors with advanced editing features. These features can effectively support you during coding, debugging and testing. Powerful modern editors provide developers with syntax highlighting, diff, macros, plugins, code-snippets, preview-option and an integrated FTP-management tool. Some editors go even further and offer a complete integrated development environment with numerous features and functions."

Tom Chapin - Not On The Test

Tom Chapin - Not On The Test:

Song and video to download from Tom Chapin:

"It’s no secret that American industry has outsourced most factory jobs to other countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. So why are we putting so much effort into a form of education in which there is no creativity? This is the time that our youth should be taught to think ”out of the box,” not be put into a tighter one! "

I saw Tom play with his brother, Harry Chapin, over in Milton at one of the wineries on a Labor Day weekend. I think it might have been 1976 or so. Fantastic show with proceeds of most of the sales going to Harry's Fight Against Hunger campaign. A few years later, in 1981, Harry was killed in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway but his work goes on. His work on hunger included being widely recognized as a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977.

Check out Tom's web site: www.tomchapin.com/

Technology Center: Bernie Poole: Essential Microsoft Office 2007

Education World ® Technology Center: Bernie Poole: Essential Microsoft Office 2007: "The tutorials, with skill consolidation exercises, are designed to teach Word (including mail merge), Excel (including graphing and charting and Lookup Tables), Access (including searching, sorting, and reporting), and PowerPoint in the context of the K-12 classroom. They also include a lesson on the Office 2007 drawing and
diagramming tools."

Rachel Boyd

Rachel Boyd's Blog
Why teachers should blog, why her students blog, and links to her award-winning class blogs.

Biology Corner -- Teaching Resources

Biology Corner -- Teaching Resources

This particular virtual biology "corner" is maintained and updated by science educator Shannan Muskopf. On the site, visitors will find labs, worksheets, and various classroom activities. The "webquests" feature on the site is particularly interesting; this type of exercise requires students to peruse several websites that address a certain theme or topic.

What I Want to Talk About - Practical Theory

What I Want to Talk About - Practical Theory: "I'm giving a keynote in Oregon tomorrow... and I know my role... talk happy about SLA, about pedagogy, be positive..."

Read it.

26 Learning Games to Change the World

26 Learning Games to Change the World | Mission to Learn:

Take some time and go through this page. It includes links to 26 online learning games such as:

- Ayiti: The Cost of Life
“What is it like to live in poverty, struggling every day to stay healthy, keep out of debt, and get educated? Find out now in this challenging role playing game created by the High School students in Global Kids with the game developers at Gamelab, in which you take responsibility for a family of five in rural Haiti.” From UNICEF with Microsoft support.

- Free Rice
An addictive vocabulary game that promises “For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.” More than 29 billion grains donated as of this posting.

- Darfur is Dying
Darfur is Dying is a viral video game for change that provides a window into the experience of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. Players must keep their refugee camp functioning in the face of possible attack by Janjaweed militias. Players can also learn more about the genocide in Darfur that has taken the lives of 400,000 people, and find ways to get involved to help stop this human rights and humanitarian crisis.” From mtvU in partnership with the Reebok Human Rights Foundation.

- World Without Oil
“WORLD WITHOUT OIL is an alternate reality event, a serious game for the public good. It invites everyone to help simulate a global oil shock.

- The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food Detectives
“There has been a mysterious outbreak of unhealthy habits hitting too many boys and girls. If we don’t solve these cases, and fast, kids might not make the right food and exercise choices as they grow, and that could be trouble!

Marc Prensky.com

Marc Prensky.com

If you don't know Marc Prensky, you need to read his articles and blogs.
From his site:
Marc Prensky is an internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, consultant, and designer in the critical areas of education and learning. He is the author of Digital Game-Based Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2001), the founder and CEO of Games2train (whose clients include IBM, Nokia, Pfizer, the US Department of Defense and the LA and Florida Virtual Schools) and creator of the sites www.dodgamecommunity.com and www.socialimpactgames.com .

Marc has created over 50 software games for learning, including the world's first fast-action videogame-based training tools and world-wide, multi-player, multi-team on-line competitions. He has also taught at all levels. Marc has been featured in articles in The NY Times and The Wall Street Journal, has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and the BBC, and was named as one of training's top 10 "visionaries" by Training magazine. He holds graduate degrees from Yale (Teaching) and Harvard (MBA).

READ ONLINE BY MARC PRENSKY: (To encourage spread of the ideas, you are also free to download, print, distribute and link to the articles at no cost. However if you do this, I would appreciate your letting me know at marc@games2train.com . Many thanks. )

Postcrossing - Postcards Traveling The World

Postcrossing - Postcards Traveling The World:

Join...send a postcard or a few..Get some back from around the world:

49,242 members
180 countries
56 postcards/hour
556 members online
1,042,711 postcards received
41,201 postcards traveling
5,699,147,216 kms traveled
142,212 laps around the world

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: May 2008 | Graphics | Smashing Magazine

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: May 2008

Want some different desktop backgrounds? You should be able to find something here to fit the bill!

20+ Free Web Design Ebooks And Guides

20+ Free Web Design Ebooks And Guides

The following list of free web design ebooks and guides will get you started building accessible, usable, and useful web sites in no time.

Professional Web Design Forums

Professional Web Design Forums | How-To | Smashing Magazine

Web design-related forums are a place where you interact with other designers, exchange ideas or discuss your first drafts. When you have a problem, you can post the issue, and then receive feedback on possible design or coding solutions from community members. This interaction is a great way to establish contacts and build relationships. Forums are used for networking and marketing purposes. They are practical places to solve problems and can serve as a form of social diversion.

Microsoft Live Mesh

Microsoft Live Mesh Tech Preview launches

Microsoft has launched a technical preview of its new Live Mesh service, which is basically combines remote desktop, online storage, and file synchronization services. Right now the service is available for Windows XP and Vista, but eventually support will be added for OS X, mobile phones, and other devices. And when we say "available," we mean Microsoft allowed 10,000 people to sign up for the first round of testing. All of those slots are full, but you can sign up for the waiting list.

So I signed up for the waiting list....

Debut

Debut could be one of the easiest to use video capture tools we've come across. You can use it to record videos or take screenshots from your webcam. You can use it to record screencasts. And you can save your files in a variety of formats including AVI, WMV, MP4, MPG, 3GP, and MOV. And best of all, Debut is free.

Here are just a few of Debut's features:

• Record audio and video
• Adjust resolution, framerate, and colors of the output video
• Setup timed recordings by hour, minute, and second
• Mirror recordings to a network or local hard drive
• Automatically send videos via email once a recording is finished, or upload to an FTP site.
• FREE! FREE! FREE!

There are a ton of configuration options. In addition to recording your screen or from a webcam, you can record from any video input capture device on your computer. So if you've got a TV tuner, you can record live TV. If you want to record home movies , you can do that too.


Debut Video Capture Recording Software - Record Video Files for Free

Patent office deals a blow to Blackboard

In yet another twist to the often arcane but potentially far-reaching patent dispute between eLearning systems providers Blackboard Inc. and Desire2Learn Inc. (D2L), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in late March took “non-final” action that deemed all of Blackboard’s 44 patents invalid.

Patent office deals a blow to Blackboard

New iPhone back in black?

New iPhone back in black? | Crave : The gadget blog

Rumors, rumors, rumors!

Artichoke: Things you seldom hear discussed at an (e) learning conference.

Artichoke: Things you seldom hear discussed at an (e) learning conference

And comments about Clifford Stoll's presentation at Ted that I referenced below!

OER Commons

OER Commons

OER Commons is the first comprehensive open learning network where teachers and professors (from pre-K to graduate school) can access their colleagues’ course materials, share their own, and collaborate on affecting today’s classrooms. It uses Web 2.0 features (tags, ratings, comments, reviews, and social networking) to create an online experience that engages educators in sharing their best teaching and learning practices.

macam : USB webcam support for Mac OS X

macam : USB webcam support for Mac OS X

Clifford Stoll: 18 minutes with an agile mind (video)

Clifford Stoll: 18 minutes with an agile mind (video): "Clifford Stoll could talk about the atmosphere of Jupiter. Or hunting KGB hackers. Or Klein bottles, computers in classrooms, the future. But he's not going to. Which is fine, because it would be criminal to confine a man with interests as multifarious as Stoll's to give a talk on any one topic. Instead, he simply captivates his audience with a wildly energetic sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides -- and even a science experiment. After all, by his own definition, he's a scientist: 'Once I do something, I want to do something else.'"

Do schools kill creativity? (video)

TED | Talks | Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? (video)
(20 minutes)

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize -- much less cultivate -- the talents of many brilliant people. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says. The universality of his message is evidenced by its rampant popularity online.

A typical review: "If you have not yet seen Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk, please stop whatever you're doing and watch it now."

The Weather Pixie: Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Airport

The Weather Pixie: Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Airport

Great widget for your blog or web site!

Student Blogs

movingforward » Blogs:
Links to information about K-12 blogs, including some great sample student blogs.

Customize Blogger!

8 steps to a more professional Blogspot blog - Download Squad: "8 steps to a more professional Blogspot blog"

Create reflections with Reflection Maker

Image reflection generator - create reflections with Reflection Maker

InstantShot! « DigitalWaters.net Projects

InstantShot! « DigitalWaters.net Projects (Mac only)

InstantShot! offers classical screenshot functionality for capturing the whole screen, a portion of it or a window and also the option to make timed screenshots or to make delayed captures over time. It offers a wide range of preferences and options to fit everyone's needs.

I Will (as a teacher)

I Will (as a teacher): "I will communicate with educational leaders and experts using email – you will try to remember the advice of the instructor in your college methods class from 1980."

Another great posting from Doug Johnson!

Why We Use Macs

Why We Use Macs

Very interesting posting!

Changing how we teach copyright Pt 1

Changing how we teach copyright Pt 1: "a rational, ethical and legally-defensible way' of how educators should change their approach to both using and teaching about intellectual property, especially copyrighted work."

There is a link to part 2 as well.

By the way, this is a great site and Doug has some very good information posted. Wander around his site!

Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom

Transitioning to Web 2.0: Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom

JBlack posts some wonderful esources for those educators wishing to learn more about blogging for themselves and/or their students.

Web 2.0 is the Future of Education

Web 2.0 is the Future of Education from Steve Hargadon at EduTechie.com: "Yesterday Steve Hargadon published an article entitled “Web 2.0 is the Future of Education” that every educator should read. Here are a couple of excerpts”

4 Things Good Teachers do to Get Students REALLY Involved in Projects

4 Things Good Teachers do to Get Students REALLY Involved in Projects at EduTechie.com:

"Almost all of the students in classrooms K-12, and a large percentage of students in colleges are ‘digital natives,’ or students who grew up with ubiquitous access to digital media Writers-Strike-Hurts-LA-Economy . These are those who can’t remember a time without e-mail and the internet. Because these students are intimately familiar with computers, the web, and the latest and greatest technology we can benefit by teaching them differently than students in the past… they are a new generation of learners."

Congress Goes Virtual in Online World Hearing

Congress Goes Virtual in Online World Hearing - Post I.T. - A Technology Blog From The Washington Post - (washingtonpost.com):

A meeting of Congress (subcommitte) in Second Life!

Firmware Restoration CD 1.5

Apple - Support - Downloads - Firmware Restoration CD 1.5

Apple released an updated Firmware Restoration CD (version 1.5) for all Intel Mac models. The Firmware Restoration CD is used to restore the firmware on an Intel-based Macintosh in case of an emergency (such as an interrupted firmware install).

You can download the Firmware Restoration CD from the Apple Support downloads website for your specific Mac. These CDs are great to keep around in case of firmware install issues (especially if you only have one Mac).

Apple makes a note that you cannot use this CD to restore the firmware that has already been successfully applied to your system; this is used only for systems that did not successfully get a firmware update applied.

PC World - 101 Fantastic Freebies

PC World - 101 Fantastic Freebies

Adobe Photoshop Express - Made You Look.

Adobe Photoshop Express

This web-based Photoshop just entered public beta today. I'm sure there are some quirks but try it out anyway. It offers free 2gb storage that might be accessible to the public.

Top 10 April Fools' Day Joke Web Sites

PC World - Top 10 April Fools' Day Joke Web Sites

For your enjoyment!

Skitch - Snap, Draw, Share

plasq.com - Skitch - Snap, Draw, Share

Free screen capture for the Mac. I use Grabber which is a freebie that comes with your Mac and works great but this is another choice for you!

Clipart ETC Homepage

Clipart ETC Homepage: Free clipart for students & teachers from Florida's Educational Technology Clearinghouse. A good resource to check out!

MacUpdate: Weekly Popular

MacUpdate: Weekly Popular

Pretty cool site. You can uncheck items such as commercial, shareware, etc. and filter for only the software you want. Sorry, Windows users...this site is for Mac only and has some great software! One you really should have is called AppDelete. Just drag the Application into the basket and it will package all files up neatly into a folder and put it into the Trash for you.

You don't need a PrintScreen-type application on the Mac since you already have one! Do a Spotlight Search for Grabber. It works really well for all different types of screenshots you might want to take of your desktop or programs.

Why Switch to a Mac

50 Reasons to Switch from Microsoft Windows to Apple’s Mac OS X

Chris Pirillo, a recent switcher to Mac OS X after having spent a decade using Windows, is now deliriously happy with the switch (aren't they all?). So happy, in fact, that he has penned fifty reasons explaining why Mac OS X is the greatest operating system on Earth and Windows is like the lame donkey in a horse race.

He's missed a lot of points (not the least of which is how you can use Spaces to organize your work among several desktops and then zip around like you're in Star Trek), included a few relatively minor ones (better compatibility with the iPhone - duh), and about half of the fifty points are dedicated to VMware Fusion. Yes, you can run Windows as an application on Mac OS X, Chris. Get over it.

(From macuser.com)

Free Image Collections for Web Designers

DesignPacks.com | Free Image Collections for Web Designers:

Sure looks like one to bookmark!

Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?

Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?

Watch What You Post and Where...

Young warned over social websites

Millions of young people could damage their future careers with the details about themselves they post on social networking websites, a watchdog warns. Always good advice!

Name Mangler- Mac only

If you need to rename several files at once every now and then, this is the application you have always been looking for. Name Mangler is a batch file renamer that supports all common renaming tasks: Find and Replace (including support for regular expressions); Number Sequentially; Change Case; Set Extension; Add Prefix/Suffix; Remove/Insert Characters. is an awesome utility that allows you to quickly and easily change batches of file names quickly. Thia is for OS 10.5. Anything earlier, look for File List on their site.

This is one I am going to get. When working on photo galleries for web sites, I wind up manually changing all the file names from DSC-9435 to 001.jog, 002.jpg, etc. This looks like it might be a real timesaver for me!

Lock Desktop For Mac

Lock Desktop - This application locks your desktop by running a simple script. This will keep all applications running, eliminating the hassles of logging out. Microsoft Windows has a feature to press WINDOWS+L. This application adds this "Lock Desktop" functionality to your mac. Want to leave your Mac Desktop but don't want someone accessing your computer when you're away.

Photography and the Law

Photojojo » Photography and The Law: Know Your Rights:

"Be respectful and polite. Use good judgement and don’t escalate the situation."

Mac OS X: Speed up your Mac with software tuneups

Mac OS X: Speed up your Mac with software tuneups

Ning

Ning - Popular Networks: "Ning is the only online service where you can create, customize, and share your own Social Network for free in seconds."

This link will take you to the educational networks. There are some pretty interesting ones here!

They Criticized Vista

They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know. - New York Times

A lawsuit filed against Microsoft in March 2007 in United States District Court in Seattle has pried loose a packet of internal company documents.

Last month, Judge Marsha A. Pechman granted class-action status to the suit, which is scheduled to go to trial in October. (Microsoft last week appealed the certification decision.)

Anyone who bought a PC that Microsoft labeled “Windows Vista Capable” without also declaring “Premium Capable” is now a party in the suit.

SuperDocker

SuperDocker

SuperDocker is a free program designed for Mac OS X Leopard that gives you the ability to customize your Leopard dock and more, all in a very easy to use package.

It seems like everything you'd want to change about the dock can be done in SuperDocker: you can change the dock from 3-D to 2-D, add icon transparency, and add customized separators in the dock.

Also, when you edit the dock background, separator, and active application indicator (the blue glowing thing at the bottom of running applications), the SuperDocker interface gives you a real-time preview, so you can perfect the dock inside SuperDocker before you apply the changes to your system.

SuperDocker also has a few preferences for items outside of the dock. You can modify the menu bar, the default screen capture format, the boot screen, and more. And thankfully, all of these customizations can be undone with a single click.

If you try this one, let me know how it works out for you!

Belkin travel powerstrip

Belkin travel powerstrip combines surge protection, USB charging

Power three devices--plus two USB products--with this portable surge protector: all for under $25...Great travel product!

Time Machine Editor

TimeMachineEditor
TimeMachineEditor is a software for Leopard that lets you change the default one-hour backup interval of Time Machine. You can change the interval or decide to make a backup once a day, once a week or once a month.

Create Booklet PDF

Create Booklets in PDF

Create Booklet PDF Service adds an export command that converts documents into PDF format for printing as a booklet with staples down the middle. This means the pages have to be resorted before printing and two pages have to be shrunk onto one. Create Booklet does that for you and as it is a PDF Service you can do it directly from the print panel. Additionally you get the Automator Action that is used in that PDF Service.

For Mac only..Yes, another freebie...

app4mac

app4mac -

app4mac should changes its name to free4mac. They have some great FREE software for your Mac!

Weekend Webware: The periodic table of the elements 2.0 | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone

The periodic table of the elements 2.0

The chart, found at Ptable.com, is completely dynamic, letting you adjust nearly every aspect of the data to see what each element does at various temperatures, and even turn back the hands of time to see which parts of the chart were missing before being discovered by scientists.

Not So Distant Future

Not So Distant Future

Carolyn is a high school librarian in Austin Texas. She uses her blog to discuss web 2.0 tools, teaching strategies, and library research tools for educators.

On an e-journey with generation Y

On an e-journey with generation Y

Ann writes about her experiences integrating Web 2.0 technology into her classes. She is doing some incredible things.

Drape's Takes: why blog

Drape's Takes: why blog

Great postings from Darren Draper, Technology Specialist for Jordan School District in Utah.

He posts many reasons why teachers should blog!

Postcrossing

Postcrossing - Postcards Traveling The World

Pretend you’re eight years old for a second. Now pretend you just got a photo in the mail from your new buddy in Finland.

Fantastic, right? Best mail ever!

Now here’s the secret: it’s still that much fun to get photos from around the world. And it’s super easy thanks to Postcrossing: send a postcard to somebody, and somebody sends you a postcard back. Collect photos from 175 countries without blowing all your airline miles! You can even request pictures of specific things.

Create Electronic Greeting Cards

"Create Electronic Greeting Cards from Flickr with Phreetings"

Free Royalty Free Music Loops, Free Royalty Free Sound Effects

Free Royalty Free Music Loops, Free Royalty Free Sound Effects

The Greatest Things I've ever learned....

The Connected Classroom: The Greatest Things I've ever learned....

A One-Page Internet Textbook on Google Features for Busy Educators

buckleit - Google-lizing Your School: A One-Page Internet Textbook on Google Features for Busy Educators:

After the morning break, so a short lecture/demonstration on the story of Google, covering topics like search engine history, how Google makes money, and so on. Use the links below, and have each person follow along. You can set this up as a scavenger hunt if you like. "

Mac Tricks And Tips: Top 100 Essential Mac Applications

Mac Tricks And Tips
From Mac Tips and Tricks

File List 1.2

Macworld | Mac Gems | File List 1.2

Macworld has declared File List — a great way to batch rename your files — to be one of its gems. It has a slew of features and it’s easy to use, which shouldn’t be surprising since it comes from the developer of other amazing programs such as Butler, Witch and Service Scrubber

April 18 - WDUG Workshop

Keep April 18 marked on your calendar for a fantastic presentation from Apple and hosted by the MHRIC here in New Paltz at the Conference Center.

Apple Software Enginner Matt Rowe will present iLife '08 and iWork '08, 2 fabulous suites of programs from Apple.

Registration is a must as seating is limited. More information will follow. If your district participates in Office Automation or the Technology Support Service, you are eligible to attend. You can register through MicroNews, on our web site, or use My Learning Plan. Registration opens in mid-March.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me!

Best Mac freeware and free Mac games

Best Mac freeware and free Mac games: The Top 10 coolest Mac freeware programs you've never heard of: thriftmac: "The thriftmac collection has grown fairly large over the past few months, despite our efforts to list only the very best. Can we help it if there’s so much truly good stuff freely available for Mac people?"

VoiceThread

A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish.

A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world.

An Introduction to Second Life | The Story of My “Second Life”

An Introduction to Second Life | The Story of My “Second Life”

An introduction to Second Life on YouTube.