Friendly Web Tools Blog

If any of you have started podcasting or video blogging, you might have noticed a discernible difference between what you’re doing with your computer microphone and what the pros are doing when they’re making voice-overs. Namely, you’re likely to hear very pronounced P sounds as you talk into the mic.

We’ve addressed a couple different ways to get past this (such as talking past the microphone rather than into it or getting a good yet inexpensive headset), but this excellent article in Nextplease shows you How To Make Your Own Microphone Pop-Filter.

This article will show you how to make your own microphone pop-filter. A pop-filter is a small screen that goes between a microphone and your mouth to prevent sharp popping sounds (known as plosives) like “P” and “B” words from overloading the mic level and distorting.

The whole thing, which is essentially a pair of pantyhose stretched over a wooden embroidery ring, costs about $6. I’ve found similar results by stretching an old pair of hose over a hanger and placing it in front of the microphone when doing my own voice-over work.

You’ll be surprised how much this small adjustment can make a difference in the way your recordings sound.

The thing about weblogs is that they’re supposed to be quick and easy to put together. A theory that’s compounded by the number of people who “blog” live events. That’s to say they attend an event and bring their computer with them and provide nearly real-time feedback on what they’re seeing.

That’s of course the idea, but it takes much more work than that to actually crank up the blogging machine. That’s why I liked this posting by WebWorkerDaily about what one contributor takes with her to do live blogging. Her list of hardware includes:

• Computer
• Good, capacious computer bag
• Flip video camera (I’ve mentioned this before on my own weblog)
• Digital recorder

The software, well, that’s another big list altogether, and fodder for a future post.

A pen, you may say, is by default wireless. That’s why it’s called a pen and not a keyboard. But the Mobile Digital Scribe GPEN200N from Iogear looks like a pen but is effectively a portable computer.

This device captures 50 pages of your handwriting or drawings - using normal ink - and it transfers them to your computer as a digital document. You can sign checks with this thing, but it has enough digital juice to grab a whole day’s worth of meeting notes. When you’re done jotting, upload to any computer you want - without need of a digital notepad or special paper. The handwriting recognition software (OCR software) converts your notes into digital text.

This has a real benefit for anyone giving a presentation, because you can connect the pen to a digital projector to show your writing in near real time. Forget overhead projectors.

Pretty cheap too. You can buy it for $129 from the manufacturer or pick it up for less than $100 online.

A podcast might be the perfect tool for broadcasting your sermon or special event, but while they’re fairly easy to put together, getting good quality sound takes some thought. The standard microphone that comes with most computers - or heaven forbid the built-in version in your laptop - creates a tinny far-away sound that instantly cheapens your broadcast. If you’re doing any kind of recording on your computer, having decent equipment is a must.

If you’re serious about podcasting, you might want to set aside several hundred dollars to invest in a microphone and a compressor/limiter. But many of our clients are simply using whatever equipment they can get their hands on. if you’re unable to part with much money, you can try the Plantronics DSP-500 headset for around $50. (You might remember Plantronics from an earlier Gadget Monday where we told you how to get set up for using Skype - this headset will do double-duty.)

Plantronics DSP-500 headset

No matter which mic you’re using for your podcast, you can get better results with a few low-tech techniques. This posting from the O’Reilly Digital Media Blog has some useful demonstrations on how to get better results with your recordings, including how to tweak your mic position (hint: talk past your microphone rather than into it).

Also, see this article on how to make a pop-filter out of some old pantyhose.

Here’s a gadget that anyone who works with the visually impaired will love: karaoke in Braille.

It’s from a Japanese company called Nippon Telesoft, actually two companies that have teamed up to build the special machine. A PC plugged into the karaoke machine translates lyrics into Braille and sends them to a special display. The characters appear on the display slightly ahead of the music so singers can follow along in time with the tunes.

Now it’s not just your sighted friends who can get drunk and sing off-key to old Genesis songs.

See the machine in action.

Some scary news: US border control now has the authority to swipe your laptop, cell phone or other electronic device. Bad news no matter which way you look at it, but you could be utterly lost if you’re traveling and US agents decide to retain your laptop indefinitely.

My best advice is to travel with a stripped-down piece of equipment that contains only contact names and travel details and download information from an online storage space when you arrive at your destination.

But you might also give a shot at TrueCrypt, free open-source software that locks down the information on your laptop so that only you can get at it. Not only does TrueCrypt encrypt your files, but it hides them so snoops don’t even know they exist, a practice called steganography.

It’s worth learning a bit about how this works if you travel and can’t live without your laptop. Of course, border control can still take your iPod, so there’s a good reason to travel with a cheapy MP3/4 player.

Skype is so easy to use and costs so little - it’s free, in fact - that I’m always amazed at how few of my clients and associates use it. With one free download, you can be making free calls over the Internet and be sending text chats with other people who also use Skype.

So today on Gadget Monday, I’m featuring three essential tools for cutting your office phone bills and giving you a direct link to your colleagues by gearing up for Skype use.

1. First of all, download Skype.

2. PC Headset. While you really only need speakers and a microphone to use Skype for talking over the Internet, this route means you’ll have to deal with feedback. Your mic will pick up speech through the speakers, and you’ll hear a crazy echo while you’re trying to have a call. Instead, invest no more than $30 in a good headset that plugs into the back of your computer. You’ll look like you’re working in a call center, but your call quality will be great.

I use a nice Plantronics set. They have some great clearance deals on the website.

3. Headset Speaker Switch. The PC headset is great when you’re talking on the phone, but you don’t want to sacrifice using your speakers just for talking on Skype. The solution is the headset speaker switch, which lets you plug in your computer speakers and your headset at the same time. Use the toggle switch when you want to go from headset to speakers and vice versa.

4. Nokia N810. This last point isn’t technically essential, but it’s so cool and useful for other things that I have to mention it here. The Nokia N810 Portable Internet Tablet is a hand-held device that’s an alternative to the iPhone. But you don’t have to use the expensive AT&T contract to make calls. It synchs up with Skype (as well as Google and any other website) so you can talk for free. But you can also use it for on-the-road demos, taking notes, checking your e-mail and more.

Check this page on the Skype website to learn more about how these two dance together.

Anyone who has tried to go for a walk with a portable CD player knows how nice MP3 players are. No jumping, no expensive batteries, nothing to break because there are no moving parts.

You’ll love the CherryPal cloud computer for all the same reasons. It’s a great little energy-efficient machine that’s super simple for the technically intimidated, only costs $249 and uses just two watts of power (most computers use 65 watts).

From the press release:

The CherryPal desktop is dead simple to set up and boots in 20 seconds. Users simply enter a username and password to access the CherryPalCloud, which offers an incredibly simple, intuitive interface. CherryPal has no exposed operating system, so all application and functions are managed solely by a Firefox-based browser. CherryPal does all operation system and application upgrading and installation, meaning there is no maintenance required. Because there are no moving parts, there is little possibility of hardware failure. CherryPal also offers a free 24/7 helpline.

Perfect portable solution if your organization is strapped for cash but you need something secure and portable to move around the office.

Now you can look forward to Mondays - this week marks the beginning of Gadget Mondays on the Friendly Web Tools blog. We know that the Web stuff doesn’t work unless you have the technology to make it happen, so we’ll start to cover the hardware that will make your computing life less confusing.

On this inaugural Gadget Monday: the Flip video camera.

With this ultra user-friendly gadget, converting lectures, presentations and conversations into YouTube-ready movies is a snap. Keep this little guy handy so you can record any action and turn it into a simple presentation for your constituency or colleagues who can’t be there. One client of ours is already using the Flip to create quick videos and distribute them on YouTube.

The best part? These things start at $129.99 - more manageable than you might have thought.