Spotify saves my "Credit Crunched" Half term

Well I was sitting at home "Credit crunched" for half term.

There are 2 or three albums I'd been contemplating from iTunes , Empire of the Sun being one. However I'd started to play with Spotify the Swedish music player - This has blown me away - why do I need to buy any Albums - OK I need to be on-line to use it and the iPhone version isn't yet there but the OSX version is fantastically simple (I do simple!).

iMovie 09 support for Flip Mino HD

Maybe I've become a bit fixated with the Flip Mino HD - but it is a joy to use with the new iLife 09. In 08 it was a file and import job which meant that larger clips had to be imported in their entirety. Now as it is natively supported, parts of clips can be selected from the camera, so we are not filling the hard drive with unnecessary gubbins.

I've always been a fervent "do it properly" merchant when it comes to video using a tripod etc, but there are times now esp with Learning Platforms where informal video (like that shot on a mobile phone or Flip) has its place. The other things about the Flip over all of its competitors is its simplicity. No batteries, SD cards to lose, simple charging in the USB (albeit upside down!).

The fact it only does one thing and in the most simplistic way means that young learners have to focus on content creation and not be sidetracked by the functionality. Swiss army knives are loved by technicians but they don't help get the job done in the classroom.

In iMovie 09 - the Flip files import 4x faster than real time which is better than a lot other school priced hard disk based cameras. This is probably due to it being Mp4 - but speed is important in the classroom. The return of the effects is great - the most useful newcomer being "picture in picture" - this should be helpful for creating tutorials and learning materials.

iMovie 09's Image stabilization is slow (on a 2GHz Macbook Pro and 2.4Ghz Macbook) and a bit hit and miss. The precision editor is very good for teaching continuity editing as students can see both clips coming together - this is a real boon, but the time line (or lack of) is still frustrating.

Some informal footage shot on the Flip can be seen below - watch in high quality -






There is quite wide use in the US of Flip in the Classroom - see Educause 7 things you should Know

iPhone app resolves classroom management/behaviour issues

Struggling with classroom control? Lost the attention/interest of your class.

This free app helps solve the problem of getting the attention of the whole class.

Simply "activate" and enjoy the "stunning" effect. See immediate improvement in student attention and feel truly empowered. It is advised that all staff wear ear buds for personal protection.

So there you have it - instant authority, control and respect, combined in the classroom management tool of the year - well done High Gloss Software. An obvious BETT 2010 innovation contender.