Facebook’s treatment of privacy issues makes Google look benevolent. If you post from a mobile device readers will be able to see your location, and naturally Facebook didn’t ask if that was ok with you. Click here to learn how to disable this.

I can’t embed the video, so click here to view it.

OpenOffice Impress (portable version) is freeware and similar to Microsoft Power Point. Impress will open and create Power Point files.

I found that when I dragged a photo from Free Commander (better than Windows Explorer and available in a portable version) onto an Impress presentation the photo would disappear if I later moved the photo to another folder or deleted it. What happened is that Impress created a link to the original file, so if I edited the photo the new version would automatically appear in my Impress presentation. This works well until you move or delete the original file.

You can prevent the photos from disappearing by breaking the link. Click Edit>Links (if Links is grayed out your presentation doesn’t have any), then click on the link that you want to break. If you want to break them all click on the top one then hold down Shift before clicking on the bottom one. Finally, click Break Link. Now all your photos and other linked files will stay in your presentation unless you open Impress and remove them yourself.

There is a way to prevent the automatic creation of links. In FastStone Viewer (portable version) I go to a full screen view of the photo that I want to add to my presentation. Then right click>Copy Image. Finally, I go to the relevant slide in Impress and right click>Paste or Ctrl+V.

If you’ve found this post helpful and/or it’s saved you some money please consider making a donation. Making a donation makes blogging a two way process: I scratch your back and you scratch mine

I have spent quite a bit of time trying various free video editors and by far the best I have found is one called Video Pad. The other video editors I tried felt like they were made for kids, had lots of useless gimmicks, lacked essential features, and were confusing to use. Video Pad is a gimmick-free tool that does everything I need and learning it’s basic method of operation took a few minutes. I find Video Pad pretty intuitive to use: it looks like it’s modelled on Adobe Final Cut and that’s a good thing. The most complex editing job I have done with it is a two hour record of a funeral.

Some of the features found in Video Pad:

• video capture facility (I haven’t tested this)
• you can record a narration (voice over) and add music. Video Pad is ideal for adding a narration to a screen recording
• the camera’s sound track can be separated from the video and/or removed completely
• basic manipulation of the audio tracks is possible, e.g. levels, fades, and cropping. For complex manipulation you can extract the camera’s audio using Any Video Converter and edit it with Wave Pad
• you can have multiple audio tracks
• it’s possible to turn a series of still images into a video/slide show* and add narration and/or music
• plug ins are available
• you can save your project part way through the editing process and come back to it later
• multi-level undo (if you make a mistake you can backtrack through a number of steps)

The free version of Video Pad allows you to save your movies in the avi, wmv and DVD formats (the paid version allows you more formats and as far as I can tell that’s the only difference). If these don’t suit your purposes you can convert the format using Any Video Converter, although conversion normally involves a loss of quality. I find that avi is a good general purpose format.

Basic instructions to get you started

The numbers in the instructions refer to the screen shot below, and having a print out will make understanding the instructions easier. To print the screen shot click on it: after it opens in a new window right click to print. In the print options box choose the ‘fit to page’ option (it may be called something like ‘shrink to fit’).

Click to enlarge

Click on Add Media (1) and choose the videos, still pictures and audio files that you wish to appear in your final product. Then click on a file in the bin (2) and it will appear in the viewer pane (3). A still picture will appear for a period of time in your final product and you control the length of that appearance (13). When adding a video adjust the in and out points if you don’t want to use the whole thing. Click on the green arrow (4) and the item will be added to your time line (5).

In this example I’ve added two still images to the time line and the dark one (the monkey) is the active one that’s currently being worked on. Clicking on the kitten would make that clip active. What you’re seeing on the time line is the equivalent of an old reel of film stretched out in front of you and that reel of film will be your final product: you can join together lots of small films and/or still pictures to make one big film (and add sound if you wish). You can zoom in for precise editing (6).

The red line (7) marks the point in your time line which is currently being shown in the preview pane (8), and the preview pane lets you click Play and do a dummy run of your final product before saving it. What you see in the preview pane is less sharp (blurrier) than the final product will be.

Clicking on Split Clip (9) will slice your ‘reel of film’ where the red line is (7). This is very useful, e.g. if there’s a boring bit in your video split/slice at the beginning and end of the boring bit, click on the boring bit to make it dark/active, then press Delete. You don’t want to have a sudden and violent burp in your video so add a transition, which gives a smooth move from one scene to another. You add a transition to the clip before the burp (in this case the monkey) by clicking on the blue box (10). My favourite is a cross fade of two seconds, which is indicated by a gold bar that appears above the blue box. Drag the triangle on the red line (11) so it’s to the left of the gold bar and see how your transition plays in the preview pane (8).

In this video of a child playing you can see several transitions from one scene to another where I cut out boring bits.

Ending your movie

Movies look much nicer when they don’t just suddenly cease, and there are two ways of adding nice finales with Video Pad:

1. Make the final segment of your time line active and click on the blue box (10) to add a fade.
2. My preferred method is called ‘fade to black’: click here for an example. Add a blank pane (12) at the end of your video, then add a cross fade transition from your part of the time line to the blank pane. I usually add a one or two second cross fade, and in the example movie the fade to black is quicker than I’d like because it was the best option in that case.

If you want to have “this movie was made by…” at the end of your final product I recommend fading to black, then adding another blank pane with text (see below).

Adding titles and captions to your video

To make a title at the start of a video add a blank pane (12) at the beginning of your video: when setting the duration of the pane (13) consider how long your title will be and how long it will take people to read it. In the time line click on the blank pane to make it active, then click on Effect (14) to add text (a black pane with yellow text looks nice). I then add a cross fade transition between the title and the video, normally one second. Click here for a cute example.

Adding a caption (words superimposed on your final product) is easy: this video has a couple of examples in the first few minutes. Drag the red line (11) to where you want your caption to start and click on Split Clip (9). Do the same where you want your caption to end. Click on the part between the splits to make it active, then clip on Effect (14). Ticking the Background Colour option will make it easier for people to read the caption. I add a one second cross fade at the beginning and end of the caption, because it looks so much better and doesn’t startle viewers.

Adding captions in this way causes the level (loudness) of your audio track to fluctuate and that is distracting for viewers. To avoid this my work flow is thus:

1. Add everything to the time line, add transitions between scenes and so forth. Remembering that your time line will become your final product, when you are happy with it
2. Add the blank frames at the beginning and end of the time line
3. Right click on the sound tracks and unlink them (be careful not to move them after unlinking, doing so will mean that the sound and picture aren’t synchronised. You can fix this but it’s a pain)
4. Finally, add captions. Another option: in this video of a sermon the speaker referred to some still images, so I removed several portions of video and replaced them with still images (first example at 4:40). This needs to be done at this point in the work flow

If I’m doing a complex job I will save the project often (File>Save Project As). Using Save Project As creates a new project file each time (the file size is tiny) and if I mess things up I can go back to a point where everything was alright: it also protects me from power cuts and computer crashes. I give each project file a name that contains the time and something descriptive, e.g. “prior to adding the Yeti clip”. Basically this is backing up as I go.

Through lots of experimentation I have found that this work flow and project-saving makes editing a smooth process.

Video Pad is excellent software and I highly recommend it.

If you’ve found this post helpful and/or it’s saved you some money please consider making a donation. Making a donation makes blogging a two way process: I scratch your back and you scratch mine

* image quality will suffer greatly if you don’t resize your still images before adding them to Video Pad. E.g., if your final product is going to be 640×480 pixels make your images 640×480 pixels before adding them to Video Pad. I use Fast Stone Image Viewer (portable version) for batch resizing.

Sometimes you’ll see ‘Just another WordPress.com site’ written at the top of a blog. This isn’t compulsory advertising, it’s something you can change and use to give visitors an idea of what your blog is all about. Getting it right is important, because it’s probably the second thing people will see when they visit your blog. If the blog title is the front door, then the tag line is the entrance foyer. A good tag line is also an important part of SEO (search engine optimisation): see Focus on Title Tags and URLs in this article.

To change the tag line go to your blog’s dashboard. On the left is a column of icons and the bottom one is Settings. Click on that, then General. Change the tag line or leave the box empty if you don’t want an entrance foyer, and be sure to click on Save Changes when you’ve finished.

If there is a topic that you would like some help with please contact me and I’ll see what I can do (I’m not making any promises).

Please note the following:

1. I don’t know everything
2. I may decline to cover topics that are very difficult to teach by writing
3. It may take me months to write anything
4. If answering your question requires me to have some paid-for software then it’s not going to happen

I suggest that you join the email list so you’ll be notified when new posts are published.

Anonymous says

I downloaded a few [files from the internet] but I can’t see where my computer has stored them.  How would I find them?  They seem to have disappeared.

Don’t worry Anonymous, this is a common problem and easy to sort out. It all depends on what browser you’re using…

Firefox

Type Ctrl+J or click Tools>Downloads. Then right click on the file name and click Open Containing Folder.

Chrome

Type Ctrl+J or click Spanner (wrench)> Downloads. Locate your file in the list and click on Show in folder.

Opera

Type Ctrl+J or click Menu>Downloads. Right click on the file name, then Open Folder.

Internet Explorer

I never use this and I only have an ancient version which does not allow you to find out where your file went to. Your best bet is to search for the file: in Windows XP click Start>Search. Giving up bad habits, e.g. using Internet Explorer, is also a safe bet. Any of the other three browsers mentioned here is usually safer and faster than Explorer, as well as being easier to use. If simplicity is your main desire try Chrome and Opera: Firefox isn’t hard to use, but it might appear otherwise to some people.

WordPress has instructions for adding a Google map to a blog post. Those instructions are accurate but incomplete: I will explain everything, but before you read any further I suggest that you print the instructions then come back here.

I wanted to put a map into a post that covered a photo trip and following the WordPress instructions gave me a map that looked like this:

Which was pretty useless when I wanted to show all my map markers, like this:

Here’s what you do to get the map that you want…

At step 4 of the WordPress instructions ignore what they say and instead click on ‘Customise & preview the map’. You’ll see something like this:

Zoom into the map (click on +) and click and drag the map (or click on the arrows) so it’s centered as you wish. You can also alter the map size and appearance (Map/Sat/Ter. Avoid Earth because your readers will need a browser plugin). Now you’ll see something like this:

The HTML code changes automatically whenever you zoom in or make another change. After you have made all your adjustments you can copy and paste the HTML code as per the step 6 of the WordPress instructions: what your readers see in your post will be exactly what you see in the preview map.

I found a great little website where you can make your own stationery at no cost.

You can make calendars, simple lined paper, penmanship paper, graph paper, music paper, accounting/ledger paper, number lines, guitar fingering guides (fretboard diagrams), and so on.

Varying degrees of customisation are available, and once you’ve set up something that you like you can keep the PDF for quick and easy printing in the future. If you have a laser printer this should be cheaper than buying basic topless/lined pads, and much cheaper than specialty items such as graph and music paper.

I use the free PDF-XChange Viewer (a portable version is available there). It’s easy to use and has lots of features, e.g. annotation and the ability to copy and paste text from suitable PDF files (this is technically impossible with some documents).

Updated September 2010.

Recently I began using Mail Chimp to deliver emails to people who wish to receive the latest from my websites and I’ve been very happy with it. As the title of this post indicates, Mail Chimp has two main functions:

1. Taking a RSS feed and converting it into emails (What is RSS (and how to use it)?)
2. Sending out email marketing: this can be a family newsletter, a sales pitch, or whatever.

I believe that RSS-to-email is an extremely valuable tool, for the following reasons:

• RSS is great but few people I know use it – let alone know what it is – and it’s on the geeky side of mainstream. In contrast, use of email is near-universal in developed countries, so if you can offer an email subscription service you can reach a lot of people who wouldn’t use RSS or remember to check your website for new content.
• Many people find that receiving email updates from a blog or whatever is very convenient, so you’re helping your readers when you offer this.
• Mail Chimp’s RSS-to-email service is set-and-forget, which is ideal for bloggers and other authors: just add a post to your blog and an email will go out.

In this post I’ll cover some of Mail Chimp’s key features and concepts, but I’m not going to attempt to do more than scratch the surface of Mail Chimp’s huge basket of features.

No spam

I’m glad to say that Mail Chimp is not a spammer’s service, and you’re only allowed to send emails to people who have agreed to receive them (opt-in only).

Price

The free option is available if you have no more than 1,000 subscribers and send no more than 6,000 emails per month. Your emails and web forms will have a Mail Chimp logo at the bottom, but this is unobtrusive and a worthwhile trade in my book. A few of the luxury features will be disabled, but I have not found that to be a hindrance: ‘free’ does not mean ‘crippled’. Click here for a full list of features.

If you aren’t eligible for a free account there are monthly or pay-as-you-go plans; the latter are like buying postage stamps. You can get rid of the Mail Chimp logo in your emails, or keep it as an affiliate plan: if someone signs up via the button you both get a $30 credit at Mail Chimp. There are discounts for non-profit organisations.

Two important concepts: lists and campaigns

Lists are who you are sending emails to: your recipients.

A campaign is a combination of what you are sending and who you are sending it to, the what being an email (or, more specifically, the contents of that email). So, when you create a new campaign you create an email and tell Mail Chimp who you want to send it to (part or all of your list). That email can be something that you’ve typed, or it can be the contents of a RSS feed.

If you’re not used to thinking in terms of ‘campaigns’ the analogy of a door to door sales campaign might be helpful. Such a sales drive has three main components:

1. The person who oversees everything and writes the sales pitch (that’s you).
2. The staff who go knocking on doors and deliver your sales pitch (that’s the emails).
3. The people in their homes (that’s your list).

Getting started

1. Create a list
2. Create a campaign
3. Push ‘send’

It really is that easy, although the devil is in the details. I’m just giving you this road map so you know where you’re going.

You can import existing lists, and Mail Chimp tells you about acceptable and unacceptable list types.

The four types of campaign

When you click Campaigns tab>Create new campaign you’ll see four options:

1. HTML campaign, that’s HTML emails with or without a plain-text alternative.
2. Plain-text campaign, that’s plain-text emails.
3. RSS campaign, that’s where Mail Chimp converts your RSS feed into emails.
4. A/B split campaign. This is for marketing people who want to test various email parameters and see which is the most effective (more info).

If you’re not sure what to do then I recommend sending HTML emails with an included plain-text version (some people can’t or won’t read HTML emails. Those who do use HTML won’t see the plain-text version). When you create a campaign you’ll make your HTML email and the next step is creating the plain-text version: I just click the button which converts my HTML email into a plain-text one.

Why use HTML emails? Basically because they look pretty, you can add pictures and clickable links, and they’re what almost everyone expects these days.

List (sub)groups

I have five websites, and instead of having five recipient lists I have one list with five subgroups. When people go to my email sign up form they tick the boxes to indicate which websites they’re interested in, and they’ll be assigned to one or more groups accordingly.

When you create your sign up form you can ask people for whatever information you desire and create groups accordingly, e.g. you could have one group for people who prefer plain chocolate and another group for people who prefer chocolate with nuts.

Another example: if recipients have entered their city when they sign up you can create a campaign that will email only those people who live in Waikikamukau (why not?).

ChimpFeedr

This is an excellent feature with a bizarre name. If I wanted it to ChimpFeedr would take the five RSS feeds from my websites and combine them into one, which would then be delivered as an email.

ChimpFeedr will appear as an option when you’re creating a new campaign.

You can have more than one list

This is great for webmasters, web designers, and other people who want to have more than one client on one Mail Chimp account.

Full control over visual design

You can control the appearance of your emails and web forms (sign up form, etc.). There is an online wizard with templates that you can modify, or you can design from scratch using HTML, CSS, and other options. The online wizard is the best place to start if you’re not an expert and it gives a very high level of control. I used one of their templates, modified it, and saved it as a template: the process is much the same for emails and forms.

To design your sign up and other forms click List tab>forms. Email design is one of the steps in creating a new campaign.

Stunning stats

After a campaign (an email) has been sent out you can see very detailed statistical information which tells you how many people have opened the email, how many people have clicked on which links in the emails, and so forth.

How I use Mail Chimp

I have five websites, and when people who wish to receive the latest via email go to the sign up form they tick boxes to indicate which website(s) they’re interested in. My list has five (sub)groups, and each person is assigned to one or more groups according to their desires.

Each website has its own RSS-to-email campaign, and each campaign is set to go to the relevant group (quick reminder: a campaign is a combination of an email and a list of recipients).

I send HTML emails which include a plain-text version; people choose one or the other when they sign up. The emails are designed using colours and logos copied from the relevant website, to give a coherent look (branding, in marketing-speak).

Conclusion

Mail Chimp is one of the best options available for those people who are looking for a RSS-to-email or email marketing service. Mail Chimp is user friendly, but the sheer range of options available might make it seem otherwise. Setting up your lists, emails, and web forms is time consuming, but once you’re past that stage everything is quick and easy, more so if you do things like creating and saving email templates. Mail chimp is suitable for a wide range of users: families sending newsletters, bloggers, and marketing staff working for a multinational corporation. I highly recommend it.