Skype for iPhone Now with Video Calls

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I could remember back to 1964 at the New York's World Fair being transfixed as I spoke to my mother an father and was able to see them on the video phone in the ATT Pavilion. It sure has taken a long time for the idea of video calls to take hold. But if there is one prediction which will really take hold in 2011 it will be how we begin to make more and more video calls on our mobile phones. Apple lead the way this year with their  application FaceTime running on the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, allowing users to have video conferencing calls on the go when they are within earshot of a Wifi network. Skype today announced the release of Skype for iPhone which is free that will allow users to place video calls over a 3G or Wifi network.

With Skype, you can:

• Make video calls to people on their computers as well as other iPhones (details below)
• Make free audio calls to anyone else on Skype
• Make great value calls to landlines and mobiles around the world

The new app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with i0S 4.0 or above. You can also receive video calls on the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPad. Calls can be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux and the ASUS videophone.

So enjoy the New Year and reach out and touch someone with Skype for the iPhone!

Skype Comes to Blackberry on Verizon Network

Verizon released today Skype for select Blackberry's that are running on the Verizon Network. Skype for Blackberry's will run on the following Smartphone:

• Tour 9630
• Storm2 9550
• Storm 9530
• 8830 World Edition
• Curve 8530
• Curve 8330

Features include:

• Skype global rates
  The same Skype rates to global landlines and mobiles. No extra cost.
• Stop counting minutes
  Skype-to-Skype, IM and global calls from Skype mobile™ don’t use your wireless plan minutes.
• Free calls included
  The same experience on your Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone means free Skype-to-Skype calls and IM

I just downloaded the Skype App and am up and running connecting to all of my Skype contacts. I have started to Instant Message with it but have not made any phone calls just yet. It is great to be able to access my Skype contacts and use the service on my Blackberry Curve 8330. I will let you know how the voice portion of the service works when I give it a try. This certainly opens up some more doors to each out to my friends and colleagues over the Skype network. Happy Skyping! Brian

Doing a Quick PaperShow Webinar

With the right tools it is easy to quickly do an impromptu webinar with good results. Today I had a chance to do a screensharing session with my friend and colleague Karen Janowski showing her the capabilities of PaperShow. For those of us in the field of assistive technology we are always looking for new tools that can be used to support students in the classroom. For those students who have in their Individualized Education Program that they are to be provided by their teachers with classroom notes, PaperShow can be a god send. In today's classrooms, teachers generally have access to a computer and data projector and with the addition of PaperShow they can simply write their notes on the PaperShow Flipchart paper for all of the students to see. Just plug in the PaperShow USB key and you are ready to get started- you see no software installation is needed, everything runs off the USB key. When they are done with the class they can save the notes as a PDF file and email it to the students or post it to the schools web site for easy retrieval. Now back to the impromptu screen sharing session.

Karen and I have been using Skype for some time and we regularly talk with each other about assistive technology and whats new. Today we started chatting and then called each other to talk about PaperShow. Using Glance for the screen sharing I started a session and I sent Karen a link in Skype that she could click on. Within seconds we were up and running. Glance still remains one of the easiest screen sharing tools out there. With a simple click you are up an running in no time. One last detail- I wanted to to be able to show Karen some of the controls on the PaperShow Flipchart paper and so I connected the iPevo Point 2 View camera so that I could show her how I was using the PaperShow pen and paper. With all my technology humming, I was able to show Karen both my computer screen and what I was writing as if she was looking over my shoulder. Karen was intrigued with the possibilities as I am with how we can support students in the mainstream that may need to have notes supplied by the teacher. Using PaperShow in the classroom is definitely the way to go as an accommodation for students who need to have notes provided to them.

Mind Mapping Webinar

This morning I had the opportunity to do a webinar on mind mapping, to the faculty at a college in Nairobi, Kenya. The session lasted an hour and a half and it was exciting to be able to introduce the faculty to the merits and features of several of the leading mind mapping applications. The faculty is in the process of developing a multi-disciplinary curriculum and wants a vehicle to be able to express their ideas and a way to communicate them. Having access to a mind mapping application would allow them to brainstorm and see the big picture with a high degree of clarity.

For those of you that are just jumping into using the web to do webinars and training, today I used several tools to enable me to do this work. I used Glance to share my screen- which continues to be a solid performer and very easy for my clients to use. I also used Skype for the audio which I would have to say was incredible today- the sound quality was crisp and clear on both ends. Likewise, I used Papershow with my PowerPoint presentation which allowed me to annotate right on my slides. I was also able to use Papershow as well as a digital whiteboard to jot down some ideas and information that my participants could see as I was speaking. Wow - what a collection of tools you are probably saying about now. Yes- but trying to keep the presentation interactive and novel, is important when doing webinars over and having these tools makes it that much easier to do. When you are planning your webinar here are some tips:

• Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse again
• Disconnect your computer from the WiFi network and hardwire your computer into the network
• Do a run through if you can
• Have a backup plan in case Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) does not work
• Use a headset if you are planning to use VOIP (ie. Skype)
  
• Use tools that have "just enough features" so that you can focus on the content and not the technology
• Confirm your meetings a couple days before to make sure everyone is on the same page

With a little planning you will find that hosting a webinar is a lot of fun and very rewarding, especially when you can span the globe without leaving your office. Yes- the "world is flat" and continues to get smaller through the power of the web! If you have any questions about the tools I used, please feel free to leave a comment. Likewise, if you are trying to figure out whats the best mind mapping tool for your situation please feel free to email me.

EtherPad & Skype Perfect Together

I was in the middle of doing some brainstorming on the topic of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Math, when I had IM'ed Karen Janowski to see how she was doing via Skype; and when I told her what I was doing, she suggested that we put our heads together and come up with some ideas. I decided to give her call via Skype and then Karen shared an EtherPad address with me so that we could both collaborate in real time over the Internet and record our ideas. EtherPad is a Web 2.0 application that lets anyone quickly share a document so that all parties can collaborate in real time. With EtherPad you are just a click away from collaborating with each other in real time. Once I clicked on the link that Karen had provided me, I quickly copied and pasted my initial ideas that I had in a mind map and we were off and running. Using EtherPad, Karen and I quickly added more ideas and when we were through I was able to export my EtherPad session as a Word document to my computer. Karen and I marveled how easy it was to use Skype for the audio component and EtherPad to record our ideas. Give it a try when you are collaborating to find out just how easy and powerful this combination is.

Skype 4.0 Released Today

I have been a long time user of Skype and was glad to learn that Skype 4.0 was released to day. With nearly 15 million users Skype has become an indispensable communication tool for both educators and professionals to connect with one another for free. I was just on Skype yesterday with John England from Mindsystems,who hails from Australia and had a great conversation about Mindsystems Amode, a new information management software application that is under development. The Skype connection was crystal clear and we spoke for about forty minutes for free- which is incredible. With Skype you are able to reach out and touch folks across the globe and interact and meet people that would not be otherwise possible. Whether you are doing a video conference call or Instant Messaging as I'm doing now with Henry Lewkowicz from Context Discovery you will find Skype to be and incredible tool.

I did learn today that Skype has released version 4 of their software with an emphasis on video conferencing, improvements in voice quality, and interface enhancements. Here are some more information that was gleamed from the Skype blog:

• Improved video calling – With the changes we’ve made, video calling in Skype 4.0 for Windows is the next best thing to being there. A new built-in bandwidth manager ensures that you have the very best video calling experience possible, even on a low bandwidth connection. If you have a fast enough connection (recommended 400 Kb/s or higher) and a high quality webcam, Skype delivers up to 30-frames-per-second High Quality Video at full screen.
• Calls and instant messages are easier to manage – video and voice calls, as well as instant messaging, are all easy to reach in a single window. The new Conversations tab makes it easy to hold multiple conversations at once, and to switch quickly between video and voice calls, instant messages and SMS. This is particularly beneficial for the power users among you.
• Call quality is substantially improved thanks to a number of under-the-hood changes. Calls sound richer and clearer than ever thanks to support for Super Wideband Audio with compatible hardware. The bandwidth manager should ensure that you have crystal clear calls even when bandwidth is low.

Enjoy and download the new version and try it out!

CrossLoop and Skype to the Rescue!

Just yesterday evening Karen Janowski and I completed and successfully submitted our NECC 2009 Proposal. When all is said and done we could not have done it without Skype and CrossLoop. Karen and I set up a CrossLoop session and I had my computer logged onto the the NECC Submission Proposal Screen ready to go. At any point in time Karen could jump right onto my screen and make edits and add text. Using Skype for the audio we were able to complete the process in about an hour's time. Having Karen have access to my computer screen as we filled out the form made life so much easier. We didn't have to email or pass text from one another or get confused as to where we were in the process. If I had to do it again I would definitely turn to Skype and CrossLoop to complete the online proposal. Having these two tools at our disposal made this a truly collaborative experience and one that allowed us to efficiently complete the task at hand. Now the hard part- waiting until December to find out if our proposal was accepted. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Where did the Summer Go?

As I write this post, I am reflecting on the past several days as my wife and I got my daughter situated and moved into her college dorm. If you have never moved a child into a a dorm or an apartment it sure is a lot of work! Once again another transition, as all of us move into our respective lines of work. Tomorrow I am back at the College of St. Elizabeth to start the Fall 2008 semester. It is hard to believe just how fast the summer went! I am eagerly awaiting to see my graduate students and look forward to sharing with them the trends and the new and exciting products that will soon be released. There is no escaping the impact that Web 2.0 has had on the field of educational and assistive technology as more and more mainstream tools on the web find their way into the work that we do. With free text to speech applications and the range of applications like Google Docs, Buzzword, Jing, and Jott- just to name a few, the combinations are endless as we craft our recommendations for the students we work with. As more and more teachers become aware of the power of wiki's- they can really begin to help students make their curriculum more accessible for those students that need it. All this summer I have been working with teachers on a math grant applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning into their math lesson plans. It has been exciting for me to watch how the teachers have embraced the UDL theory and have been able to plan accessible lessons which have been scaffolded with technology.

Reflecting on my trip to NECC 2008- this year will go down as the year of the netbook. If you haven't had a chance to look at these ultra small notebooks now is the time to do so. The netbooks will be seen as just one more vehicle for students to have a rather inexpensive tool to access the internet with. Weighing in at about 2.2 pounds these devices will will run Window XP and in many cases a variant of Linux. Asus, Acer, and HP have jumped into the bandwagon and soon Dell will announce their new netbook which will probably be released later this month. Schools will begin to look at these devices more seriously because of the cost and their functionality for the money. Many of the netbooks start at around $300 dollars and up. It should be interesting to watch as schools begin to adopt these tools.

Teaching at the college gives me another perspective from the vantage point of higher education as to how technology is being applied for instruction. At the college all students have access to Blackboard which is used as a portal for instruction. I have created some very rich courses using Blackboard that provide my students with a multitude of resources. Over the years I have developed many learning resources for my students using Camtasia Studio, a wonderful application for creating screencasts and video tutorials. At NECC 2008, I was introduced to Adobe Captivate 3 which I will add to my einstruction toolkit. Adobe Captivate 3 not only allows you to create video demonstrations, but also allows you to quickly develop compelling interactive media which you can output to Flash. I will be posting some more information about Adobe Captivate 3 in some later posts in September.

Certainly, collaboration is the buzzword and I'm sure going forward you will be hearing more and more about this as developers add these features into their existing applications. But you only have to look to Web 2.0 technologies to see that the foundation is already there for example in Google Docs and Buzzword, just to name a few. For this reason it will become even more important when we are educating our students and preparing them for the world or work that they have opportunities to work in teams and to collaborate with others outside the context of their school. Do what you can to seek out the exciting projects like the Flat Classroom Project that are taking place on the web to give your students these invaluable opportunities and experiences. I have learned that, yes the world is flat and having tools like Skype, Oovoo, CrossLoop, Yuuguu, Adobe ConnectNow and Dimdim, have allowed me to conduct the work that I do effortlessly without the need to leave my office. So reach out beyond your school and district and challenge your students to use these rich sets of tools to make learning more meaningful and rewarding.

I trust that this will be an exciting start to the school year and I look forward to sharing my ideas and experiences with you as I continue to explore and use new tools. Please feel free to email me with your comments and suggestions.

Croosloop Revisited

While I have talking about Web 2.0 for some time now, the real benefit of these technologies is the ability to collaborate over the web. Just yesterday evening I was collaborating with my colleague and fellow visual mapper Wallace Tait on a visual map. Using Crossloop and Skype we were able to collaboratively work on the visual map as if we were in the same room. The speed and clarity of the screen was really unbelievable. Using readily available Web 2.0 technologies made this collaboration possible at no cost to either myself or Wallace. Using Skype for the audio and Crossloop for the screen sharing session was a real winner all around.

Using these technologies it is now possible to provide high level support, training, and collaboration wherever you may reside. All you need is high speed internet and a free Skype and Crossloop account. If you are looking for training and support in the comfort of your home or office just drop me a line to find out how we can get started. This type of support and training is ideal when you get in a pinch and need someone to turn to. I offer free estimates and would be glad to speak to you over Skype about your training or support needsor feel free to email me.

Professional Development for the 21st Century

Just yesterday I connected with my friend and colleague Karen Janowski, an Assistive Technology Consultant in the Boston Area over Skype and we spent the next hour or so catching up and sharing ideas and showing each other new applications. Using Skype we were able to speak with one another and then we connected using Yuuguu a screen sharing application that allowed us to see each others computer screen. Yuuguu was just updated so that the individual on the other end can now access your screen via the internet. Yuuguu is great for ad hoc meetings when you want to share an application with another individual or for that matter a group. You simply give the participants a URL and a PIN number and within seconds they can see your computer screen (do remember to do some tiding up:-) ). Participants can also request control of the presenters screen as well which is fantastic for training purposes.

More importantly as I was reflecting on our interchange it occurred to me that more educators need to seek out these rich Web 2.0 tools so that they can dialog and direct their own professional development. I know for myself, that having access to professionals like Karen that I can connect with on a regular basis really improves and hones my skills and the exchange of ideas is amazing. So when you are considering your own professional development see how you can craft it using the tools I mentioned, Skype & Yuuguu. Educators and other professionals need to look for new models of professional development for the 21st Century and the web is the way to go. Let me know how you are using Web 2.0 tools to expand your professional development.

Skype 2.7 Beta for Macintosh Released

Last week Skype released a beta, Skype 2.7 for the Macintosh,which added host of new features and compatibility for users of OS 10.5- Leopard. More importantly Skype 2.7 for Macintosh with the right hardware can now deliver 640x480-pixel video by default. As long as your webcam can handle it, Skype promises to deliver high quality video conferencing calls at 25 fps. To be able to deliver this quality users will need to be running a Mac with dual Core 2 processor and have a broadband connection that is capable of at least 384 kbps upload speeds. The race for high quality video conferencing is just heating up in this space. Look for services like OoVoo and Sightspeed to raise the bar and push this market even further with new features and high quality video conferencing.

Skype, Yuuguu and InspireData

What better way is there to get my graduate students excited about technology than by modeling for them what is possible with today's Web 2.0 tools. Using programs like Skype and Yuuguu has enabled me to make my graduate classes so much more dynamic and has allowed me to bring in guests into my classroom which was just not possible years ago. Just yesterday, I had Laura from Inspiration give a demonstration of InspireData to my students who had never seen it. Using Skype, and the video conferencing capabilities Laura was able to introduce herself and my students were able to see her which really personalizes the experience. Once she had introduced herself , I turned off the video component and I just used Skype for the audio so that we could listen to Laura as she described the product. Using Yuuguu, a free screen sharing application Laura was able to share her computer with my class and move through InspireData as if we were looking over her shoulder. Yuuguu worked extremely well and kept up with the pace of Laura's presentation to us. Using tools like this gives me access to other experts and makes it easy to bring them into my classroom. One of the really nice parts of this technology is the ease of use; with just couple of clicks of the mouse I was up an running on Skype and Yuuguu. What great tools to use to make classrooms more dynamic and exciting!

Video Conferencing with OoVoo

Last week I had a chance to talk to Philippe Schwartz, the CEO of OoVoo.com at the DigtialLife 2008 conference held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York city. OoVoo is determined to do for video conferencing what Skype has done for voice over internet protocol (VOIP). OoVoo makes it very easy for anyone with a webcam to set up a video conference with up to six participants with any desktop computer and a high speed Internet connection. Using a familiar buddy list you can quickly start a video conferencing session with very high quality video and audio. Phillipe showed me a resource indicator when six participants were on line and it barely made a dent in the terms of the computer processes and resources. The quality of the video and the audio was exceptional. OoVoo service is entirely free and you can download a Windows version of the program from the company's website. OoVoo will be releasing a Macintosh and Linux version of the application as well- making the program truly cross-platform. If you are interested in using video conferencing in your business or classroom then please take a look at this incredible service. To see the program in action you can take a look at this link showing how Arianna Huffington recently used OoVoo to interview House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers.

Profesional Development

My friend and colleague Karen Janowski got me thinking about the summer and opportunities for our own professional development. The summer is a great time for educators to be involved in professional development and to learn about new resources and ways to deliver instruction to their students. With the internet becoming ubiquitous and new Web 2.0 applications, now is the time to explore on your own these rich resources. If you haven't already taken a look at Google Docs, wikispaces, Skype or del.icio.us then spend some time getting a feel for the applications and how they can be used in the classroom. You may also want to take a look at YouTube and TeacherTube for ways to integrate video into the classroom using nothing more than an inexpensive webcam. I know that many teachers are looking for ways to get their students to write and what better way than to use a blog. Teachers can set up free accounts on Blogger and have a working blog up and running in minutes. Blogger gives teachers the controls they need to be able to limit who can post and how posts are moderated. However, before starting a classroom blog it is a good idea to consult with your building administrator. Also take a look at Vyew a new collaborative tool that makes sharing your desktop with students a snap. I would be interested in learning how you might use these tools when your return to your classroom in September. Have a great Summer of learning!

NECC 2007 Updates

While my schedule precluded me from attending NECC 2007, held this year in Atlanta-stay tuned here to find out about the latest releases and announcements. I hope to be in touch via Skype to some of my colleagues on the Exhibit Floor so that I can get you the scoop. So stay tuned.

Virtual Presentation

Karen Janowski did an awesome presentation on how to engage students in the writing process using various features in Microsoft Word. Karen's tips and tricks were really appreciated by my Graduate students who are studying for their Master of Arts Degree. Karen who is a Assistive Technology Specialist from Boston was able to talk with my class via Skype and was able to share her desktop with the class using GatherPlace. GatherPlace is a very easy to use cross-platform tool for hosting Internet sessions so that you can share your applications and desktop. There is no software to install and it allows Windows XP as well as with Mac OSX users to host sessions. There is a free 14 day trial which you should take a look at. The presentation went very smoothly and the students were able to ask Karen questions and interact with her as if she was in the room. I will be exploring some other tools for collaboration which afford a whole host of options and features.

A Good Experience

Just yesterday I had the opportunity to try out video conferencing over Skype with my graduate class in assistive technology. Deb Barrows from Crick Software was gracious enough to come on-line using the video feature found in Skype. For the most part it worked out great-we are having some bandwidth issues on the campus which should be remedied shortly but every once in awhile Deb's voice would break up and go in and out. This was partially fixed by turning off the video stream. Everyone in the class was able to see her as we spoke about Clicker 5 and the just announced Clicker Paint programs. After a short introduction, Deb set up a GotoMeeting session and we were able to share Deb's computer desktop. Deb walked us through creating a Clicker 5 ebook which went extremely well and then she introduced everyone to Clicker Paint. I think that everyone was generally very excited to use this technology and have someone come into the classroom using the Skype setup. Having access to these technologies can transform classrooms and I hope that my graduate students whom themselves are teachers will take the risks and give these technologies a try in their classrooms. Think about all the exciting ways you could use simple video-conferencing in your classrooms. I know that there are a lot of eager teachers who are looking to use these technologies and what a great way to do link classrooms across town or across the continent. Take a look at the iSighted web site for ways to hook up with other teachers who are using webs cams in their classrooms.