FLASH!!! Video Post Cards Big Hit With G-Kids
Are creative juices swabbed up by the bread of leisure? Even with the lack of broadband, I assumed that I would be writing more while not occupied with the normal mundane aspects of life. I find that I can spend the day mesmerized by good books and the calming effect of the water lapping against the shore 35 feet away. On the days we play golf, I am astounded that one game can provide such peaks of ecstasy and pits of despair. Non-golfers won’t have a clue here but you golf nuts recognize that the rare bird brings such good feelings while the all too frequent triple makes you question the entire existence of the game and your masochistic desire to play it. Regardless of the reasons the creative well has seemed to be somewhat spent.
No broadband means it is difficult to look at and purchase new tech goodies. I have noticed that gated communities play hell with GPS systems. The several I have seen in action, don’t appear to realize that a gated community is not a thoroughfare.
As much as I have found the Acer 5100 more than adequate for my needs, I have found that the video capture software accompanying the machine is highly inadequate. Cyber-link Power Producer and NTI CD/DVD Maker can capture video but want to save it to removable media rather than a hard drive. Since I neglected to bring any writeable media with me, it precluded use of those two products. The Acer OrbiCam seems to work just find for snap shots but that seems to be the only thing Acer decided it should do. When I do have broadband, the camera seems to work just fine with Microsoft Live Messenger. There doesn’t seem to be any way included with the machine to do a video, save it and then later email it. Having several digital cameras with me, I was able to record a short video, download it to the laptop and then email mail it when I went to the public library to use their broadband. Those creative folks at Star Bucks claiming to have broadband overlook the fact that the majority of the world does not have a T-Mobile account without which the local Star Bucks clerk told me was necessary to use their broadband. Might I make a suggestion oh mighty coffee giant, GET REAL, for the price of you way too strong, too fattening coffee you should offer free open wireless. So says the guy frustrated with the third week of going to the not so close library to get any kind of connection.
Back to the mini-video, I highly recommend this convenient (assuming you have access to broadband) way of keeping in touch with the little folks in your life. Leprechauns and grandchildren alike, seem to find the computer video an entertaining way of getting a electronic post card from vacationing grandparents. According to my son, the video postcard was on it’s 30 plus viewing when he called us to tell us how much his kids enjoyed it.
I guess then this qualifies as somewhat tech tipping, not with any money saving that I noticed but keeping in the spirit of the title at least some tech tipping.
For any tech savvy reader, if you know of a free, decent video capture software package that would work with the Acer OrbiCam, I would love to hear from you. Since as I may have mentioned, I don’t have any damn broadband to search for my own solution.
Postscript:
Dane-Elec 4GB Compact Flash Card FREE BUDGET SHIPPING $13.00 Mail-in Rebate $18.95 After Rebate Buy.com price: $31.95 List price: $79.99
I am not familiar with Dane but the price is right for a 4gb flash card.
Are creative juices swabbed up by the bread of leisure? Even with the lack of broadband, I assumed that I would be writing more while not occupied with the normal mundane aspects of life. I find that I can spend the day mesmerized by good books and the calming effect of the water lapping against the shore 35 feet away. On the days we play golf, I am astounded that one game can provide such peaks of ecstasy and pits of despair. Non-golfers won’t have a clue here but you golf nuts recognize that the rare bird brings such good feelings while the all too frequent triple makes you question the entire existence of the game and your masochistic desire to play it. Regardless of the reasons the creative well has seemed to be somewhat spent.
No broadband means it is difficult to look at and purchase new tech goodies. I have noticed that gated communities play hell with GPS systems. The several I have seen in action, don’t appear to realize that a gated community is not a thoroughfare.
As much as I have found the Acer 5100 more than adequate for my needs, I have found that the video capture software accompanying the machine is highly inadequate. Cyber-link Power Producer and NTI CD/DVD Maker can capture video but want to save it to removable media rather than a hard drive. Since I neglected to bring any writeable media with me, it precluded use of those two products. The Acer OrbiCam seems to work just find for snap shots but that seems to be the only thing Acer decided it should do. When I do have broadband, the camera seems to work just fine with Microsoft Live Messenger. There doesn’t seem to be any way included with the machine to do a video, save it and then later email it. Having several digital cameras with me, I was able to record a short video, download it to the laptop and then email mail it when I went to the public library to use their broadband. Those creative folks at Star Bucks claiming to have broadband overlook the fact that the majority of the world does not have a T-Mobile account without which the local Star Bucks clerk told me was necessary to use their broadband. Might I make a suggestion oh mighty coffee giant, GET REAL, for the price of you way too strong, too fattening coffee you should offer free open wireless. So says the guy frustrated with the third week of going to the not so close library to get any kind of connection.
Back to the mini-video, I highly recommend this convenient (assuming you have access to broadband) way of keeping in touch with the little folks in your life. Leprechauns and grandchildren alike, seem to find the computer video an entertaining way of getting a electronic post card from vacationing grandparents. According to my son, the video postcard was on it’s 30 plus viewing when he called us to tell us how much his kids enjoyed it.
I guess then this qualifies as somewhat tech tipping, not with any money saving that I noticed but keeping in the spirit of the title at least some tech tipping.
For any tech savvy reader, if you know of a free, decent video capture software package that would work with the Acer OrbiCam, I would love to hear from you. Since as I may have mentioned, I don’t have any damn broadband to search for my own solution.
Postscript:
Dane-Elec 4GB Compact Flash Card FREE BUDGET SHIPPING $13.00 Mail-in Rebate $18.95 After Rebate Buy.com price: $31.95 List price: $79.99
I am not familiar with Dane but the price is right for a 4gb flash card.
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