YouTube Video Editing

Following on the heels of my last post about image stabilization, here is another cool feature of YouTube: you can easily trim the start and end points of any video you upload to YouTube on the fly.

First step: upload the video to YouTube. After it has processed, bring the video up and click Edit. Click Enhancements.



Click Trim.



You'll then get a preview screen, and an area just below it where you can drag the Start and End bars to trim the beginning and end of your video (see below). Play the preview to see your video with the new edits, and fine-tune them until you are happy with the result. Click Done. And that's it. Because the entire video has been uploaded, you can go back and change these edit points, including adding cut portions back into your video, anytime you like.

YouTube Image Stablization

YouTube has added several new user-friendly editing features to its user interface lately, from automatic transcription to editing. Today's post deals with image stabilization.

You can have YouTube automatically stabilize a shaky video. First step: upload the video to YouTube. After it has processed, bring the video up and click Edit.



Next, choose Enhancements at the top of the page.



Click Stabilize. That's it! Be aware the stabilization process will take some time; in my test it took about 20 minutes.

Flickr Slideshow

Flickr Slideshow, at http://www.flickrslideshow.com/, makes it very easy to create a slideshow from your photoset at Flickr. You give them the URL of your photoset, the width and height of the slideshow, and the site returns the code you need to put the slideshow up at a website or blog (shown below).

The first step is to create a Flickr account. Go to http://www.flickr.com/, register for free, and upload your photos.

Next, go to Flickr Slideshow, at http://www.flickrslideshow.com/. Type in your photoset URL (generally http://www.flickr.com/photos/, followed by a long number specific to your account). Choose the size of your slideshow - the one below is 500 x 400 pixels. Click Create Slideshow, and then copy-and-paste the code the sir returns to you in your blog or webpage.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Editing Video in PowerPoint

Microsoft Office 2010 has some new video editing tools available that allow you to add fades, automatically go full screen, and make trims and cuts directly in PowerPoint. This lets you avoid the step of having to first edit your video in an outside editor, such as Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere.

To begin, you insert the video the same as you always have: go to the Insert tab, choose Video, then Video from File.

Select your video. You now will have a "contextual" Video Tools tab appear above the other tabs (see image below), and below it two other tabs, Format and Playback. Choose Playback.


To trim video, choose the Trim Video icon. A dialogue box will appear (see image at left). Drag the left marker to set your Start point, and drag the right marker to choose your End point.

To add fades to the beginning and end of your video, use the Fade In and Fade Out boxes just to the right of the Trim Video icon to set the duration of the fades (see image below).

Finally, to allow your video to automatically play Full Screen, check the Play Full Screen checkbox.

Winter-Spring 2012 Connect Sessions

Below is the schedule for Web Development Connect sessions in the first half of 2012. Notice the emphasis on two areas: Google tools (Analytics, Docs, Forms, etc.) and slightly more advanced Working With Websites techniques (tables, multimedia, calenders). Those just starting to work with the CSU Extension Webpage Template are highly encouraged to attend these Working With Websites sessions.

Also included is a session on Prezi, a browser-based, non-linear alternative to death by PowerPoint!

2012 Connect Sessions:

Jan 18: Google Analytics
Feb 1: Using tables for web design (Working With Websites 6)
Feb 15: Prezi (an excellent alternative to PowerPoint)
March 7: Embedding Google Calenders on a web page (Working With Websites 7)
March 21: Google Docs
April 4: Multimedia on the web (Working With Websites 8)
April 18: Google Forms

Previous Connect sessions can be found at: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/comptrain/co.shtml.

Previous Connect sessions relating to Working With Websites and the CSU Extension Webpage Template can be found here: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/comptrain/co.shtml#wor

Superior Alternatives to Crappy Windows Software

Let's end the year on a fun note: Lifehacker recently listed their "Best of 2011"
posts of the year, and among them was "Superior Alternatives to Crappy Windows Software," available at lifehacker.com/384545/superior-alternatives-to-crappy-windows-software.

This post gives you free, fast, well-designed alternatives to bloated and frustrating Windows-based software such as Adobe Reader (use SumatraPDF), Windows Media Player (use VLC or Media Player Classic), Winzip (use 7-zip or J-zip) and much more.

It's a fun, and informative, article. Give it a read.

The entire year-end list of the "Best of 2011" Lifehacker posts is available at: lifehacker.com/5872033/this-is-the-best-of-lifehacker-2011

Happy 2012!

Pando

Pando, at www.pando.com, is a large file sharing service that allows you to send packages of files and folders up to 1 GB. It's free, and simple to use; just drag and drop the files and folder you want to send (Pando gives you a running tally of the overall package size so you can stay under 1 GB).

A variety of ways can be used to send the files. You can directly send the files via email. You can post them on the web using the provided embed code. Or you can post the files on Facebook.

A few caveats: there is a small download involved (though it is quite small, about 5 MB). The person receiving your files needs to have Pando as well. And, most importantly, you need to choose "No thanks and continue" when it asks to install the insidious and incredibly annoying Weatherbug (ALWAYS say no to Weatherbug).

A screenshot of the easy-to-use interface is shown below.


Thanks, Angie Asmus, for the tip.