iPevo Point 2 View Camera

As many of you know by now I carry quite of bit of technology with me when I am doing presentations and workshops. I always carry with me my laptop, data projector, PaperShow, and speakers. The only other piece of equipment that I wanted to add to my toolkit was a document camera, but I had not found just the right one for me. Then a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to the iPevo Point 2 View Camera at the New Jersey Computer Cooperative (NJECC) by Dave Marra from Apple Computer. Dave was using the iPevo Point 2 View Camera to demonstrate some apps on his iPhone. I was totally blown away by the quality of the picture that I saw and by the size and flexibility of the camera and knew that I had to get my hands on one to review for you. I would like to thank Pauline from the iPevo Company for providing me with this review unit.

So if you are looking for a lightweight document camera that can be used with both Mac and Windows then I urge you to take a look at the iPevo Point 2 View Camera. The iPevo Point 2 View Camera is a 2.0 Mega pixel camera with auto focus which attaches via your USB Port. In order to start using the iPevo Point 2 View Camera camera I downloaded the latest iPevo P2V software application from their website simply plugged in the camera. It was just that easy to get started. The iPevo Point 2 View Camera does come with an installation CD and a User Manual on the supplied CD- but just in case I wanted to download the latest software from their website.

In the box is a QuickStart Guide which will have you up and running in no time. The iPevo P2V software is easy to use and allows you to adjust the Exposure, Resolution, Zoom in, Zoom Out, Mirror, as well as Timer function. The iPevo P2V camera has an Auto Focus feature which makes it an ideal tool to be used as a document camera. Place a book or any object under the camera and within seconds your picture comes into focus. The iPevo is an ideal tool for taking a look at objects at a very close distance with great sharpness. It is amazing to see the object or page you have placed under the camera lens come up on your computer with such clarity. The iPevo Point 2 View Camera comes with handy weighted stand that can be used to affix your camera and makes it an ideal portable document camera. The camera can also be taken off the base and used as a handheld camera for taking close up snapshots of items. Likewise, you are also supplied with a handy clip to allow you to use the iPevo P2V camera as a webcam that can be affixed to a monitor or a laptop. Once you have placed an object under the camera it is very easy to take a snapshot of the item by pressing the Enter key or by Pressing the Green camera button on the camera itself. The images are automatically stored in your pictures directory and can be reviewed from within the iPevo P2V software.

For anyone who is doing instruction of an electronic device (ie. iPhone, IPod Touch, Blackberry phone) or needs a portable document camera, I urge you to take a look at the iPevo Point 2 View Camera from iPevo. I truly was amazed at the quality of the picture and just how light it is to carry around. I know that this is one gadget that I will carry around in my bag when I do presentations and workshops. If you are a presentor or teacher you are going to really enjoy uisng the iPevo P2V camera and at a selling price of $69 dollars I predict they will fly off of the shelves. For more information about the iPevo P2V Camera click here.

Vidly- Awesome Video Tool for Twitter

I had a chance today to come across Vidly- which is a video tool that can be used with your Twitter account. Using your webcam you can record up to a ten minute video with Vidly, add your Tweet and off it goes to Twitter to post your message with a link to your video. You also have the option to upload a video in several different video formats. I found Vidly easy to use and completed my first Vidly video in minutes which is now posted on Twitter. You can also get the embed code for the video and place it on your blog or wiki and share it that way. You can watch the video in the post. What a great tool to use for educational purposes. Think of all of the ways you could use video in an instructional setting- it boggles the mind what you can do- even with an inexpensive webcam! In this video, I talk about using Papershow in the college library with my class. Enjoy!

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.

New Products from Logitech

Logitech announced two new products at the DigitalLife Press Preview yesterday that I though you would be interested in. The first product is a new webcam called the Quickcam Pro 9000. Here are some of its features:

• Carl Zeiss® optics: Get more detail and clarity from Carl Zeiss® optics. Logitech’s glass lens designed in collaboration with Carl Zeiss®, the global leader in camera optics.
• Premium autofocus: Your images stay razor-sharp, even in close-ups.
• HD video: Video calling and sharing has never looked so real at 960 by 720 pixels.
• Higher megapixel performance: A true two-megapixel sensor. Up to eight-megapixel* photos (enhanced).
• RightLight™2 Technology: Adjusts intelligently to produce the best possible images in dimly lighted or poorly backlighted settings.
• Integrated microphone with RightSound™ Technology: Enjoy crystal clear conversations, free from echo** and annoying background noise.
• Ultra-wide field of view and intelligent face tracking: Keeps you right in the middle of the action.

Logitech also announced the MX Air™ mouse which can be held in the air and used without the need to have it on a desk. It is designed to be used with a PC home media systems.

Features:

• Laser performance: On your desk, enjoy laser-precise tracking and instant response.
• Freespace™ motion sensing: In the air, use MX Air™ to browse and play your favorite media. The sensor transforms hand motions into natural, responsive cursor controls. Adjust volume by waving to the right or left; skip tracks with a flip of the wrist.
• Scroll panel: Experience hyper-fast scrolling at the touch of a finger—on your desk or in the air.

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.