Category: Technology
SnagIt for Mac (Beta)
In case any of you have not heard about this, SnagIt, one of my favorite apps from Techsmith (a really cool company that I wish were closer to Manhattan so I could work for them!), now has an active (and open) beta download of SnagIt for Mac available.
I have used SnagIt for a long time, and must say I was most surprised with how this version of the application stays mostly hidden along the right of the screen, ready to be used as needed. While this is still a beta, and will undoubtedly be changed in the final version, it is exciting that it is being developed to finally meet the growing Mac user base.
Evernote: More Than a To-Do List?
I am trying out Evernote, the online note-taking and organizing software application that has been available for some time, but I am only now beginning to explore. It does seem a lot more powerful than I initially thought, as I was just thinking about it as an online to-do list and did not know I can save voice, webpage parts, or even upload images.
While I am using a version of this that I installed on my Mac, I struggled with downloading the BlackBerry version of this, since there is a coding problem on BlackBerry App World. Evernote sent me the current direct link, which is here if you also happen to use a BlackBerry Tour on Verizon. Seems they just fixed the link on the BlackBerry page, though I am glad that after reporting this problem, Evernote sent it to me directly.Kudos for Evernote Customer Service.
While I have a suspicion that this application does a lot more than give me a place to store my shopping lists per store, I do not seem to be terribly creative with online applications. I am wondering how others use this to help make things more efficient?
Powermat Eliminates all My Cords
In the middle of my research and work projects, I found myself all tangled up in the nearly ubiquitous wires of a connected life. That is until yesterday, when I was running some errands at Bed Bath and Beyond and saw the Powermat, a recharger that eliminated most of the wiring on my desk. It is a little costly (about $100 for the mat and $30-$40 for each of the specific charging door attachements), but compared to limited desk space and countless cords, adapters, and extensions, I found this cost and the resulting simplicity of recharging (both a BlackBerry and an iPhone) to be well worth it. The company seemed highly rated, and after only a day of use, my entire perspective of using multiple devices has changed.
If only I can get the same efficiency with my research!
Re-Thinking E-Learning Research (free) Seminar at SCoPE
I just learned about a new 3-week online seminar that just began at SCoPE: Re-Thinking E-Learning Research. I purchased this text after reading about it earlier in the year, and this is a great opportunity to begin reading it, especially given that my doctoral studies are in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning. As I take such a broad view of what elearning and e-research are, this session may be just the thing I am looking for.
I am really interested in the 3 topics that will be covered and discussed:
- Introduction to e-learning research: What is it? Where are we?
- Narrative: What is the case for narrative methods in e-learning research?
- Critical Theory: How can methodologies associated with critical theory contribute to the field of e-learning research?
Perhaps I will see some of my colleagues online during this event, and we can experience how all this works within an online community of practice as well!