Explore the Universe in 3 Dimensions!

Celestia is an application that works on Macs and PCs that allows you to explore the universe in three dimensions. Check out a video of my first explorations:

Like it? Try it by clicking here...

Zen and the Art of the Inner Twitter

OK, maybe you have heard of Twitter, an application that allows you to post from your cellphone or computer anything and everything you happen to be doing. Limited to 140 characters , but not limited in it's applications, Twitter is quickly becoming the fastest and most seamless way to post information to the Web. Sure, many people use it to post things like "sitting at Starbucks, drinking a latte" or "eating a bowl of cornflakes and watching Good Morning America" but Twitter is being used for much much more. Businesses use it to respond to customer queries and check on minute-by-minute trends and media groups often check with "Twitterers" as the first to the scene reporters. The first reports coming out of China minutes after the quake came from Twitterers. Teachers are collaborating with students to post project updates and share information.

Ok, you're saying "Twitterers?" Are you kidding me? I must admit that the terms they come up with for new application users is a bit ridiculous (Twitter, Vlogger, Blogger, Wikis, etc...) but the applications are becoming more and more ubiquitous by the day. For example, 170,000 blogs are created every day!

Well, I discovered that Twitter actually has Zen uses. Inner Twitter will send you a text message every hour (or however often you like) to remind you to "Stop. Listen. Pay attention to your breathing. Pay attention to what is before you. Forget yourself and become whatever resonates, like stillness, peace and beauty." And you respond in kind. Here are some recent Chime responses:

artemisthunder: in front of me is two days off!
Sue: a peaceful night...
Wendy Haylett: - Relaxing in acceptance of myself and my nature, work is easy and fun
artemisthunder: in front of me is a book
Sue: A glass of wine. A quiet evening.

Can Inner Twitter really "leverage the best of modern technology" and help us "live a good and satisfying life in the modern world?"

Find out at Inner Twitter

See my Wiki Twitter Pod Blog... post if you want a quick 5 minute tutorial on Twitter.

Google from your Cellphone!

For simple searches like weather, pizza, addresses, phone numbers, stock quotes just text your question to the Google SMS number 466453.

For example, I typed the following questions and got reliable results:

John F. Kennedy birthdate?
Pizza Minneapolis?
Weather Minneapolis?
Walker Art Address?

So if you need answers and a computer is far away try texting Google at 466453

Latest Doonesbury Sums It Up

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View Articles on 1 Page

This may sound like a no brainer but I get tired of having to wade through internet page after internet page reading articles and constantly having to click next. I want to read the whole article in one fell swoop. My solution? If it's there, I select "Printable Version" and most of the time it opens up the whole article for me to read. Like I said, no brainer, but wanted to share...

Wiki Twitter Pod Blog...

Common Craft puts out videos that explain internet concepts such as Wikis, Twitter, Blogging, Podcasting, Social Networking etc in very plain English. I watched the Wiki and the Twitter ones and felt like I understood in just 5 minutes. Wiki example:



Want more videos? Here is a link to the Twitter one. Just click on "related posts for even more plain English videos" Just Click Me

Free Podcasts on iTunes

Now that the iTunes Store is working on campus I thought I'd share a free resource.

Open iTunes and select iTunes Store

In the Search Bar (upper right) search for free podcasts. I searched for "free spanish podcast."

Click on Subscribe to the ones you want. They will download and then you can play them back by selecting them in Podcasts.

Add voice without a microphone!

Choose a language (English, Spanish, or Italian) and type your text in that language. Then listen to the voice. Simple as that! Insert voice into your website, an email, wherever an mp3 will go...

A Tale of Two Blakes?

Which one is Blake and which one is me? People on campus are confused... But that's good.

Podcast from your cellphone

While attending a workshop at TIES in St. Paul on Social Networking Technology I was introduced to Gcast, an exciting podcasting tool. It's your own audio broadcast and it's free and easy to use! You can record voice messages, add music if you want and share it with the world. What intrigued me was when the instructor whipped out his cellphone, dialed a number, recorded a message and 2 minutes later it was live on the internet. The possibilities are endless for recording notes, lectures, instructions, concerts, etc and putting them up on the internet almost instantly. Just go to Gcast.com for more information. Personal broadcasting is simple.

Technology really is cool...

Newspaper Clipping Generator

And sometimes you just need some good clean fun. Generate your very own newspaper clippings with your own stories!



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