Category: Technology

Camcorder Alternatives

If you’re shopping for a family video camera these days, there are reasons you might ask yourself if you even need a full-sized camcorder thanks to some new technological alternatives.

It’s amazing how small camcorders have gotten over the last decade. I remember the first video camera my family bought was a large over-the-shoulder unit that recorded to full-size VHS tapes. However, even with hard drive camcorders shrinking every day, they’re still not small enough to take with you on a daily basis.

Here are a few alternatives for shooting video on the go:

  • Pocket Camcorders – These flash-memory based camcorders from the likes of Flip Video, Kodak or Insignia, have exploded in popularity due to their extreme portability, price and ease of use. Even the higher-end models capable of HD video are affordable enough to be popular with teenagers looking to keep their YouTube accounts filled with fresh video of their daily life.
  • Point & Shoot Cameras – These sleek and slim digital cameras have learned new tricks by using the same lens technology they take still images with to also record video. Many models, such as those from Canon and Sony, can shoot HD video comparable to the pocket HD camcorders, but with the added advantage of taking great still shots as well.
  • iPod Nano – Although the video recorded by these tiny MP3 players from Apple are only SD, the fact that they’re more likely to be with you on the go means they will be there for when you absolutely need to get video of that crazy scene you just walked past on the way to work.
  • Smartphones – There are a huge number of choices here, but in between all the apps each platform has, you’re also seeing better built-in cameras on many makes and models that mean you can not only shoot video on the go, but often edit it on the phone itself before uploading directly to YouTube and posting about it on Twitter.

Going Greener by Keeping Score

It’s human nature to turn anything involving numbers that can be tracked into a competition. Even “going green” can become a race of sorts as drivers attempt to maximize the fuel efficiency of their automobiles. There are even “hypermiling contests” where drivers use combinations of technology and driving techniques on selected courses to see who can achieve the highest miles per gallon rating with their vehicles.

Of course, you don’t have to go to extremes to see the benefits of fuel savings behind the wheel thanks to some basic tips and tech that you can apply to your everyday car.

The most often quoted tip is to make sure your vehicle is well maintained. A tuned engine will burn the fuel you give it more efficiently, while ties inflated to their correct air pressure will reduce the work needed to keep your car rolling down the highway.

Of course, you’ll need to be able to measure how much fuel you’re saving with that maintenance, which you can do if you with many smartphones apps. These apps allow you to enter in the amount of gas you filled up your tank with, along with how many miles since the last fill up, and calculate your current miles per gallon (or even Liters per 100km). They also keep a log of your previous trips so you can see how much (or little) you’re improving over time.

Other techniques involve changing the way you drive to get where you want to go more efficiently. It’s true that driving too fast can cut into your fuel efficiency due to the increased air resistance. However, it’s also true that driving too slow can mean an equal loss due to the increased amount of time your engine is running while getting to your destination.

This is where new GPS units really start to shine. Not only can current GPS devices route you based on the shortest distance or the least drive time, but many also have “eco routing” features that take into consideration both calculations, along with other factors such as the braking and acceleration involved with having more intersections along a shorter route, versus a more straight-through longer distance. In most units, you can even enter the price of the gas you recently purchased and have the unit read your trip back in estimated time, distance and cost to get there.

Going green with your automobile doesn’t have to be quite the competition some make it out to be, but to really improve your actual dollar savings, sometimes it helps to have the tech to keep score.

Facebook and Social Media Privacy

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Recent changes in the Facebook privacy settings has sparked some controversy, and I had some opportunities to provide tips in keeping your personal information under control.

I spoke first with the Fox 8 News morning team about how you can edit your privacy settings in your Facebook account, and undo the recent changes.

Later, I spoke with the Wills & Snyder show on WTAM 1100 about privacy in a social media world: Privacy in a Social Media World

The POWER of ONE to ONE to MANY

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbFKs3kpejg

I created this video about the importance of social media to an organization like Best Buy after reading a PowerPoint presentation on the topic by Twelpforce lead John Bernier.

If you don’t think social media can impact a brand as large as Best Buy, consider that I created this amateur video with less than two hours of work on a mid-range home PC on a video editing program that cost about $49.99 and available in many retail stores.

Consider again that YouTube states that 20 hours of video are uploaded every minute to their site.

Consider that those videos about a brand, which can sometimes be very influential despite their production values, are linked to on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, personal blogs and on a hundred other social media sources.

You can have a lot of social media tools in your company, which Best Buy absolutely does, but you can always use more social media people, which Best Buy is always looking for.