learn here

http://multimediaandweb2.wordpress.com/
New blog by Robert Ladd from HSL, UNC. Includes some nifty short videos instructing on
Jing, a free screencasting software.

Creating Survey Forms Using Google Docs

Krafty Librarian again posts some interesting and useful info on saving and creating forms, in her Feb 16 posting:
I needed to make a simple online form that could be easily linked to online and I could easily share with others. I have used SurveyMonkey and a couple of other products before, however this time I don't think they were going to work for me. As I mentioned I wanted something that I could easily share with others. Enter Google Docs yet again. I must have been snoozing in September 2008 when they added the ability to create, share, and store online forms, because I had no idea they did that too.If you already have a Google Docs account it is very easy to create a form. Just click New and highlight form. It is a simple form, but it can serve many purposes. Janetta at Fusion Finds has created a very nice Camtasia video on how to use Google Forms. She published 2 screencasts on using this tool. The first one shows you how to create a form. The second screencast shows how to share the form, access the data, and edit the form (sometimes you have to hit the refresh button if it doesn't start right away).If you are looking quick and simple form you can share that will also import the data into a spreadsheet, you might check out Google Docs Forms.

Statewide Email Marketing Presentation

Here is the 1 hour presentation on Email Marketing I gave at the Statewide AHEC Meeting in Charlotte on 2/3/2009.

How to take your data back from Google

http://mashable.com/2009/02/02/google-backup

Stan Schroeder writes: “Let’s face it: Every web service, Google included, can mess up, and sometimes it means losing your data. So, when was the last time you backed up the data on the various Google services you use? I thought so. Let’s look at some easy solutions for extracting and backing up your data on such popular Google apps as Google docs, Gmail, Google Reader, Google Calendar, and more.”...Mashable, Feb. 2

Medical uses for Twitter

See the posting in The Krafty Librarian blog for Jan 20, Twitter in Health Care.
Maybe we can use this info in our Twitter presentation. Who is signed up for that one?
http://www.kraftylibrarian.com/
I do not currently Tweet, perhaps cuz I don't text.... Ya think?

Z Screen

Today my friend Karen Martinez called me to ask about how to get screen shots in her word document. She has enjoyed using a free / open-source product called Z-screen that I showed her a while ago but needed some help configuring it.

First, for those of you who are still using the default PrtScn button to capture your entire computer screen or the more advanced Alt+PrtSc combo which grabs just the highlighted window and adds it to your clip board, I submit to you an even better option.

Head over to Brandon Z's website and pick up the latest executable of Zscreen. Version 1.3.3.0 as of this writing. When you scroll to the bottom of the page to find the install link be sure to download the Binary and not the Source. The binary link will get you the program with an installer. Only download the source if you are interested in seeing how the program is coded or would like to contribute.

Now, run the exe to install Zscreen. Of course running .exe's you find on the web can have some pitfalls so the standard disclaimers apply (i.e. please check with your local computer administrator first).

When asked on install, I configured my installation to open on start up so its always ready when i want to grab a screen capture. Now that you've installed you should see a new icon in your task tray down by the clock with a "Z" on it.

To activate this new productivity tool, press Ctrl+PrnScn. This will momentarily freeze all the items on your desktop and turn your pointer into a large white arrow. Ths white arrow will serve as the top left corner of your screen shot. Click and drag to outline the area of the screen you wish to grab.

Once you let go the program adds the capture to a location of your choosing. By default the image is uploaded to a webserver (your task icon will turn orange until this process has finished) and the web address of your image will be added to your Windows clip board. Press ctrl+V to paste this address where ever you'd like to use it.

If you want to change this setting as Karen did. That is easily achieved by double clicking the Z screen icon in your task tray. You'll see destination settings in the dropdown called Screenshot destination. There's an example at the top of this post (captured with Z-screen).

Familiarize yourself with the settings in this configuration screen. They are very powerful and can be quite helpful when assembling a presentation or documentation. With so many tools using public webspace its nice to have an automated method of putting local screengrabs on the web. Its also nice just to be able to choose what you want to emphasize.

Enjoy!
Chris

How to share your outlook calendar online

My good friend Nancy Stine asked me a question today. Unfortunately i rudely hung up on her directly as I was going straight into a meeting. However I did answer Nancy's question later in the day and promised to post it for everyone's benefit.

Nancy was working with a group that needed to access her outlook calendar. She asked me how she could share her calendar and even allow the approved party to add appointments to it.

Heres how its done:

Step 1. Sign up for google Calendar here: http://www.google.com/calendar/

Step 2. Install the google calendar sync tool on your work desktop. http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=89955

Step 3. Invite users to view your google calendar using theses steps:


Step 4: Marvel at how productive you've become