SLUA

Apple Digital Bootcamp

podmaster — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:22:57 +0000

I have just finished my first day of three at the Apple Digital Bootcamp being held in Alexandra College, Milltown, Dublin. It was a long day 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. filled will hands-on practical workshops. The event was organised by the INTO with the full support of Apple Ireland. Typetec ltd supplied the Apple hardware to the PC community. Both primary and post-primary teachers are being fast-tracked by experts through podcasting, animation, digital photography, videography, music, etc. I can’t wait for tomorrow – if I can get up in the morning.

WeatherPixie is under the weather

podmaster — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:43:04 +0000

The WeatherPixie.com has been experiencing server trouble for the last 6 months and is in need of pixie dust. It was definitely down at the end of February as it was pointed out to me in some of my birthday greetings. I have just gone onto the site and it is empty except for a Twitter link for @weatherpixieHQ . Judging from the last tweet on March 7th nothing else seems to be happening. Bearing that in mind I am going to retire WeatherPixie from the sidebar until further developments have taken place on the site.

Google Wave – is on the rocks

podmaster — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:36:33 +0000

I have just heard an hour ago on Sky News that Google are pulling the plug on Google Wave. I found it great as a text based meeting place. Ideal for composing and editing group project proposals. On the other hand, I have to admit it was a hard sell to Twitter and Google Apps users as it did not seem to offer them anything over and above what they were already using. The fact that it was a stand-alone service and not integrated into Google’s other offerings sealed its fate. I channelled nearly 340 contacts to the service and having accepted the invitation many of them asked me what the concept was behind the service. That ain’t good!

Following a visit to the Sky News website ( the link is above) I followed a link the Google Official Blog. Here, Urs Holzie (senior vice president for operations) stated in his post on the offiicial Google blog yesterday that they “will maintain the site at least through the end of the year and extend the technology for use in other Google projects.” Integration into other mainstream Google products while retaining its individuality should have been a cornerstone of the original product.

It was heralded as a community platform cum forum for distance learning and cultural exchange. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) were invited to embrace the technology and make it there own. The old Dublin based Bulletin Board Systems of the late 80s like StarNet, TOPPSI, DUBBS, ICON and later on FredMail had similar services to offer their users 20 years ago. The arrival of the WWW and the imposition of metered telephone charges put an end to them. Unfortunately, confusion and disinterest seems to have signed the death warrant for the Wave.

Google Wave was worth a go and the Google gods said they learned a lot. The writing was on the wall a few months ago when the Australian Team sent out an email asking – What would you do if Google Wave was no more? – or words to that effect.

Everything sounds very iffy to me. I am going to try to delete all my Waves at the end of the year – if I can!!! I don’t want to see them floating around in the ether when after I retire. Of course Wave users were never able to delete anything. The Trash could never be emptied – that was another thing that smelled funny- one year old trash.

At least we have been assured that it will not be swept away in a Google Tsunami.

Damp and Damaged Mail

podmaster — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:59:15 +0000

My course content was supposed to arrive from Fluirse this morning. All I received was a damp burst envelope with four partially stuck pages. I say burst as it seems to have torn along the damp perforations. A padded envelope might be more in order the next time around.

I have to wait until next Friday to see if it turns up in the sorting or delivery offices. It is just as well that I am not heading off somewhere.

eTools is dead

podmaster — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:13:23 +0000

I have just removed my eTools Ning membership badge from the right sidebar. It has been blank for awhile. It was good while it lasted.

Iomega eGo Blackbelt – Resistance Test

podmaster — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:41:01 +0000

I seem to end up tracking down Iomega eGo Blackbelt drop test videos on my holidays. This one is interesting in as much as it shows the initial moderate drop tests and a boot-up confirmation but it then goes onto OTT (over the top) testing but no boot-up is shown afterwards. Of course, its post “excessive test” results may be in commentary. I will leave that up to my eTwinning colleagues to comment on. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dad! My father is 87 years old today

The Eyewriter

podmaster — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:45:31 +0000

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.

I removed this video from my VodPod collection on Christmas last as it was unstable and the buffering was very laboured.

However, I was discussing adaptive and inclusive technologies with a German colleague this afternoon on Skype and I mentioned useful hacks on the Wii and PlayStation sensors. The EyeWriter project sprung to mind so I googled Evan Roth and unearthed a standard and HD version of the original video posted last November.

Office Test : Iomega eGo BlackBelt

podmaster — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:46:34 +0000

Do you remember the post in early February last? It was primarily aboutt he bundled v.Clone software but the video actually featured the Iomega eGo BlackBelt portable harddisk in action and guy from Iomega also mentioned the fact that it could take a lot of abuse. Well, I am on my Easter holidays at present and I have trawled the internet to find the “truck versus the Iomega eGo BlackBelt” harddrive video but to no avail.

Have a look at this video and make up your own mind. The tester is quite mild and really does not put the boot in. The viewer gets a glimpse of screen showing the drive booting up at the end of its ordeal. I still have not found any crazy excessive tests as yet. Watch this space – someone will take up the challenge!

Photos Everywhere!

podmaster — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:02:26 +0000

I was asked on Friday night why I had several photo galleries in the sidebars. The answer is simple. I assist teachers with the construction of their school and student blogs. As many of you will be aware, Flickr, YouTube and Picasa feeds are all blocked by Fortinet, the contracted filering service of the Irish Schools’ Broadband system. Hence, the insertion of NG Gallery WordPress widget plugins followed by a HTML Flickr panel offering and finally the Flash based Flickr badge. Hopefully, one of them will make it trough the filtering process.

LetsGoLooLaLa

podmaster — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:41:32 +0000

I am sitting with the creator of a new and exciting blog entitled LetsGoLoolala It promises to be an entertaining blog with an invitation to share your tales of travel,