OoVoo 2.0 Released for Windows

Today I learned that OoVoo 2.0 has been released for Windows with some really exciting new features. It is now possible with OoVoo 2.0 to have a video chat with someone who doesn't have an OoVoo account and to initiate the call is really easy. Here is a breakdown of the new features

Here's what's new in ooVoo 2.0.

Get New ooVoo Download ooVoo 2.0

		Web Video Call: Friends who don’t have ooVoo can video call you right from their Web browser!
		Video Chat Rooms: A simple way to embed a video chat in any website, blog or social network.
		Better Friend Search: Looking for people to video call? It’s easier than ever to find them.
		Excellent Audio Quality: You’ve got to hear it to believe it!

OoVoo continues to make some really significant developments with their platform and if you have not checked it out go to their website and download your copy of OoVoo and get started with video chatting and conferencing.

The Joy of Teaching

There is no better feeling when you are teaching to see your students in perfect sync with you as the lesson or demonstration unfolds. In many ways it almost feels like a symphony of sorts- there I am teaching and I can watch the expression and the heads moving in unison as they grasp the ideas that I am espousing. Pretty powerful stuff to say the least. Today was one of those days where everything just flowed. I have been introducing my students to the power of videoconferencing and challenging them to think of some ways to use it in the classroom. In this vein, I introduced them to two of my favorite videoconferencing applications Skype and Oovoo.

For the first part of the class, I connected with my friend Laura at Inspiration, Inc. and my class had a chance to meet her via videoconferencing. We had a very good connection and the class marveled in just how easy it was to accomplish the connection. After Laura introduced herself, we connected via Glance so that we could share her screen. Laura and I have done this before with some other classes but it was the first time we were using Glance to share her screen. Using the latest version of Glance and my account I was able to Start a session and view Laura's screen. As I have noted one of the things that I like most about Glance is just how easy it is to use. Today was a perfect example- within seconds of starting the session, Laura's screen was up and my class was viewing her computer. Laura did a great job of demonstrating InspireData which continues to impress me. Just this past week I modeled for a fifth grade teacher how to set up a mock election by using the eSurvey feature within InspireData. Glance was really fast and the screen redraws were nearly instantaneous. It was a great session and Glance worked flawlessly. My students were very excited to participate in the webinar and began to see just how these tools could be used together to deliver professional development and instruction.

After the short webinar- I had a chance to show them OoVoo and connected with Philip Robertson from OoVoo. We had a great conversation and the students remarked on the clarity of the image and the quality of the audio. We also had a chance to record the session which is another benefit of OoVoo and I had a chance to replay it for them. The session was a big hit and once again Philip came through and provided some great information and his great sense of humor. In in all it was a great day of teaching!

Recording a Videoconference with OoVoo

I had noted a couple of days ago that OoVoo had added a number of great features to OoVoo version 1.5. Having the ability to record a video conference is reallly a killer feature and I wanted to give it a try. So in this video you will see me interviewing my colleage Ned Davis who is a faculty member of mine and a techie at the college where I teach.

Click on this link to view the interview. Now imagine the possibilities!

OoVoo 1.5 is Released

I wanted to let you know that OoVoo 1.5 has been released with some really great features. You can now use OoVoo for free phone calls as well as recording your videoconferencing sessions. Find out more about OoVoo by going to OoVoo.com. I had a chance to use the video recording feature and it works extremely well-it is a great tool for doing interviews and recording them. Take a look at it when you get the chance!

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.

Can You Say DimDim

This past year I have had the opportunity to experiment with many of the Web 2.0 tools which have allowed me to share my desktop (Yuuguu.com, Gatherplace.net), do video-conferencing (Skype, OoVoo) and to collaborate with others. Using a host of these services has extended my reach shall we say, and I know that the upcoming new year will bring me opportunities to further reach out and provide a host of services that were once just not possible. With broadband access it is now possible to have a genuine presence and provide both tutoring, consulting and training with your computer. Having access to high quality video conferencing through a service like OoVoo changes the playing field and provides a level of communication and feedback that was not possible through email or instant messaging.

While many of us have participated in webinars through services like WebEx or GoToMeeting some of these services may be out of the reach of individuals and would not make much financial sense if you were going to be hosting a limited number of workshops. With a monthly subscription fee starting out at around $50 dollars it maybe just too much of an obligation to sign up for. While doing my regular trolling on the web I came across a new Web 2.0 company that was offering a free open source web meeting service. I sent Dimdim an email and they provided me with a free account and I was able to log in and start a web meeting within seconds. Dimdim is a browser-based web 2.0 service that allows anybody to share their desktop, show slides, as well as talk, listen, chat, and broadcast via webcam. dimdim´s hosted service is available for free and can be easily used for small gatherings, to seminars with hundreds of attendees.

Finding this service I had to jump in and check it out. It was hard to believe that such a service could exist for free! I logged into dimdim and entered my password and user name and was able to immediately start a session using my webcam for video and audio. Once I got to the presenters screen I was able to import my PowerPoint presentation and also had access to a virtual whiteboard to write some notes. While using my MacBook I could import PowerPoint preventions, for some reason I could not get access to sharing the desktop or sharing an application. I suspect that this feature has not been implemented yet. I was successfully able to share the desktop and share applications on the Windows platform. Moving through my PowerPoint was effortless and the audio and video really helped to have a presence as I was doing the webinar. Overall, dimdim performed well and the interface was easy to use without the need for any manuals or directions. If you are looking to provide webinars and do more of your training and consulting via the web then take a look at dimdim and let me know what you think. The price is right!

Using OoVoo in Educational Leadership

I finally had the chance to use OoVoo today with my colleagues at the College of St. Elizabeth where I teach and have to say the video is wonderful. It was very easy to start the conference and the user interface is first class. I was able to start a 3 way video conference in seconds with great video and audio. OoVoo has some really great applications in the work that I do, and one of my colleagues would like to use the video conferencing capabilities in a course he is teaching on global education for doctoral candidates in Educational Leadership. If you have any contacts over seas that are interested in participating in this global education course, please let me know and we can get connected. Imagine future educational leaders being able to communicate with each other and discuss pertinent issues. If you would like to participate in the course download OoVoo and give me a call to see how we can make this work. My user name on OoVoo is assistivetek.

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.

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.