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Looking for a quick and dirty way to create interactive timelines?
Dipity is a website designed exclusively for digital timeline creation, and it’s FREE.
Many news organizations are already using Dipity, including The Washington Post. Check out how washingtonpost.com used Dipity to chronicle the experiences of a family that went on a seven-year sailing trip around the world.
In addition to individual event entries, Dipity also allows you to populate your timeline with data already on other sites, including photos, videos and blog posts. The services linked for importing include Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
Here’s a quick example I put together by incorporating the RSS feed for this blog. See it in full on the Dipity site here.
function scro11me(f){f.contentWindow.scrollTo(0,0); }
________________________________________________________________________
One of Dipity’s best features is the “Search” function, which allows you to enter a particular keyword or term and collect and insert related data from Twitter, YouTube, Flickr or Google News. Dipity will automatically update the timeline as more info pops up that includes your search term.
Searching your own name or organization, for example, could be a great way to track what Dipity refers to as your “digital footprint” over time.
Once you join, you can create timelines on Dipity for FREE, but even embedded, they come with a Dipity stamp in the corner.
If you want to get rid of the Dipity branding altogether, you’ll have to buy Dipity Premium. Plans start at $5 a month and go up to about $100 a month for the Pro version.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/10/07/create-interactive-timelines-with-dipity/
As any journalist covering Congress can tell you, it’s not always easy to keep up with every official on the Hill. That’s where Congress in Your Pocket comes in.
The service by Cohen Research Group is a congressional directory for your iPhone, iPod touch or BlackBerry.
One of my colleagues informed me about it recently, and it is a HUGE help.
For the iPhone and iPod touch, the Basic version costs just $0.99 and includes info on each member of Congress, including party affiliation and biographical details. It also includes the official’s office address, office telephone number and a link to his or her website.
The Basic version also comes complete with campaign info, including the person’s campaign website, name of his or her top opponent and donor info. (Buy it from Apple’s App Store here.)
The Congress+ and CongressPro versions are more expensive ($4.99 and $29.99 respectively) but offer even more info about each congressman, including staff contact info, committee assignments and sponsored legislation. (See differences between all three versions here.)
The benefit to the Pro version is that its info is updated all year, which means you’ll always be up-to-date.
A yearly subscription on the BlackBerry will cost you $99, substantially more than the iPhone app, but for government workers or those buying in a group, the Congress in Your Pocket website says there are discounts.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/10/02/pelosi-in-your-pocket/
The Nieman Journalism Lab has released an iPhone app!
The lab is a project of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. The lab’s stated focus is to help journalism figure out its future in the age of the Internet.
If you’re a news junkie looking to keep up with industry changes, the Nieman Journalism Lab is a great resource. And its app, now available in Apple’s App Store at ZERO COST, makes the info even easier to access.
The lab says the app features all its stories and tweets, as well as the most buzzed-about links overall from Twitter and recent reports from other sources of journalism news.
If you don’t have an iPhone, you can still keep up with the Nieman Journalism Lab on its website.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/29/future-of-journalism-at-your-fingertips/
If you’re an iPhone user looking for a quick and easy way to create a panorama, Pano is your answer.
The app from Debacle Software allows you to create a 360 degree panoramic image using up to 16 photos. It also has a guide to help you line up your shots.
Pano is available on Apple’s App Store for just $2.99. Apple named Pano one of the best apps of last year.
The panoramas save directly to your iPhone’s camera roll. The program can also be used on the iPad and iPod touch.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/28/panoramas-on-your-iphone/
Introducing Barbie Video Girl. She’s blonde, beautiful and comes fully equipped with a built-in video camera.
The camera lens is embedded in her necklace, while an LCD viewing screen sits fashionably in her back.
One of my colleagues showed me the following video by digital media maker Brandon Bloch, comparing Barbie Video Girl to a Canon 7D SLR camera. It is HILARIOUS, and the results may surprise you. This camerawoman is not half bad! (See more of Bloch’s work on his website: http://brandonbloch.com)
Can you imagine bringing Barbie along on your next interview? “Dr. Hansen, if you could please just look straight at Barbie, say your name and spell it for me?”
For aspiring little journalists/filmmakers on your birthday buying list, $50 gets you the doll and a USB cord. Mattel says the camera is compatible with both Mac and Windows. It requires 2 AAA batteries.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/25/just-for-fun-bring-barbie-on-your-next-shoot/
Don’t get me wrong. Flip cameras are a great buy. But there’s another pocket camcorder on the market that takes the Flip’s features and quality to the next level: the Kodak Zi8.
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The Kodak Zi8 captures video at HD 1080P, higher than the Flip’s quality of 720P. The Zi8 also has an external mic jack, while the Flip currently does not.
You can order the Zi8 right now from either B&H or Best Buy for about $130, which is equivalent to the cost of the Flip.
I’m planning to take a Zi8 out in the field for some tests in the near future.
Until then, check out this review of the camera from CNET.
If you already have a Flip and are wishing for higher quality audio, you might want to look into the Mikey for Flip recently announced by Blue Microphones. The Mikey is a small, square microphone that attaches to the bottom of your Flip and is designed to give you professional level sound.
The Mikey also has a mic jack if you want to use a different microphone. The device is set to come out next year. There’s just one eensy little drawback: the price. The Mikey is expected to sell for $70, about half the cost of the camera itself.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/24/dont-flip-out-just-yet-an-alternative-to-the-flip-cam/
The days of tape-based video cameras and real-time digitizing are numbered. Now, it’s all about the memory card.
The JVC GY-HM100U is a nice little camera that records directly to SDHC cards (it has slots for 2).
Despite its small size (weighing in at just over 3 lbs), this camera packs a professional punch. It shoots in HD up to 1080P and comes complete with XLR mic inputs for professional level sound.
If you’re a Final Cut user, imagine adding to that the ability to record directly to QuickTime movie format. Picture an editing workflow of drag and drop replacing the headache of log and capture. Would that sweeten the deal? Well the JVC does just that.
The camera also stores files in MP4 format for use with other non-linear editing systems.
Here’s a helpful review of the camera, complete with test footage, from London-based director and filmmaker Philip Bloom.
Video journalist Glen Canning’s review is also worth checking out.
After extensive research, I finally got mine and am excited to put it to use. At nearly $2,800, it’s a bit of an investment (both for newsrooms and individuals), but the ease of post-production should help make it worth it.
Check back soon for the results of my test runs…
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/23/a-backpack-journalists-dream-come-true-a-look-at-the-jvc-gy-hm100u/
The emergence of digital SLR cameras capable of shooting HD video has prompted an informal debate about whether the cameras are suitable for video journalism.
Naysayers like Cliff Etzel of solovj.com say the shallow depth of field and cinema look produced by DSLRs distract from the story. Etzel says the need for additional equipment to improve a DSLR’s functionality as a video camera is another major drawback.
But take a look at a news piece shot with a DSLR, and you’ll see that when done right, you really can get a superb product.
Here’s an example shot by photo and video journalist Dan Chung in China for British newspaper the Guardian. (It takes a little time to load, but it’s well worth your patience!)
Chung’s website, DSLR News Shooter, is a great resource if you’re interested in seeing more.
For the video above, Chung used the Canon EOS 550D, a.k.a. the Rebel T2i, which is miraculously, not extremely expensive. I recently purchased my own and have been very happy with its performance so far. The camera comes complete with an external mic jack, so you can get higher quality sound. The kit I bought rounded out to about $1100 and included an extra lens. Check B&H for deals.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/09/20/to-use-or-not-to-use-the-dslr-and-video-journalism/
Cue horror movie theme music. In honor of Friday the 13th, I’m highlighting a few of the scary (or could they be genius?) shifts the journalism industry is undergoing as a result of the focus on new media.
1. The Headless Newscast
Well, not exactly headless, but anchorless… KIAH, The Tribune Company’s TV station in Houston, is preparing to redesign its nightly newscast in this unfamiliar format. Reports indicate the goal is to create a similar experience to surfing the Internet for news.
A few days ago Shoptalk by TV Spy (which I recommend subscribing to if you’re interested in keeping up with industry changes) featured this article by Poynter about the venture.
2. Reporters “Shape-Shifting” into Commentators and YouTube Parodists
The rise and allure of the Internet has begun to blur the lines more and more between journalism and entertainment. And the “infotainment” trend gets even uglier when journalists start blurring their own lines.
Recently, a group of reporters and photographers for a local TV station in Arkansas created two parody videos of the TV newsroom working experience. In addition to being profanity-laced and vulgar, the videos were made using station equipment and even used the station newsroom as a set. I hesitate to post the videos here (yes, they’re THAT graphic), but if you’re curious, here’s a link to the Arkansas Business article about them.
And if you’re wondering about the fate of these journalists-turned-comedians, they were promptly fired. Yikes!
3. The Attack of the Unvetted Information Monster ( or The Axing of Shirley Sherrod and the Ghost of Steve Jobs)
With a new focus on citizen journalism, blogging and social media, people are now getting their information from all kinds of untraditional sources. The danger emerges when news organizations also look to these sources for information, without properly vetting what they learn.
A prime example is the case of Shirely Sherrod. An official with the U.S. Agriculture Department, Sherrod was fired from her position after it was reported that she made racist comments during a speech to a chapter of the NAACP. The problem was her quotes were presented only in part and without the context of her full speech. A conservative blogger had posted a heavily-edited video of the address on the Web, and media outlets and the Obama administration had acted initially based on that, without exploring the comments in their entirety. (President Obama has since apologized to Sherrod and expressed regret over the administration’s handling of the situation. Sherrod says she will sue the blogger responsible. For more on this story, see here.)
Also, anybody remember the time Apple CEO Steve Jobs died, and then miraculously came back to life? In October 2008, someone on CNN’s iReport citizen journalism website published a false story claiming Jobs had died of a heart attack. Apple stock fell more than 5% following the post.
In CNN’s defense, the site did note the material was unedited and unfiltered, but obviously, that didn’t stop some people from taking what they saw as fact.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/08/13/friday-the-13th-scary-shifts-in-journalism/
One of my colleagues alerted me to another teleprompter app for the iPhone that is significantly cheaper than the one I featured in a previous post.
It’s called iPrompter, and it’s currently selling for just $0.99! You can also download iPrompter for the iPad.
Check out the company website and more details on the program here. And click here for the app’s page in the iPhone app store!
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/08/11/cheaper-iphone-teleprompter-app/
Another valuable resource for travelers on assignment overseas is eDiplomat.
The site includes information on cultural etiquette in more than 40 countries. Entries cover everything from greetings to offensive gestures to corporate culture to dress.
Just for fun, check out the advice on the United States. Here’s a sample bullet point:
Some Americans are known as “back slappers” — they give others a light slap on the back to show friendship.
Lonely Planet is another helpful resource for traveling. It includes advice on topics from hotels to weather trends for visitors to a variety of countries.
http://www.multimediating101.com/2010/08/11/cultural-etiquette-for-overseas-reporterstravelers/
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