MLTI Minute - Adjusting Display Preferences

Did you ever wonder why your computer screen and the projector display sometimes do not match when you plug in to the projector, or why they change in size or resolution?

Last year I featured MLTI's MLTI Minute and their video tutorials how to make the most of your Stickies application on your MacBook device.  MLTI Minute now has over 200 mini-tutorials posted on their site.

Today I would like to feature another one that came out last April.  This one talks about your display settings on your computer when you plug into a projector and how you can adjust them to suit your needs.  Tim Hart, Apple Rep and MLTI Integration Mentor, does a great job and making this process simple and easy to understand.

I would like to point out, also, that all of their video is downloadable.  You could store it in your iTunes app if you like.

If you have any questions concerning the use of your displays when projecting, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Apps Gone Free - Today's Feature

Apps Gone Free is a FREE iPhone app (compatible with your iPad as well) that features on a daily basis apps that have gone FREE.

Today there is a good one for those iPad begginers or those who would like to know more about your iOS device.  The app is called SCOtutor for iPad.  It was at the price of $3.99, but now it is FREE.  The app is basically an organized and categorized set of video tutorials explaining pretty much every little feature of your iPad device.  It is designed to cover the iPad2 and iOS5, however is great for anyone who has the original first iPad.  The app is amazingly easy to navigated through and to where you want to view.  I believe you will find this extremely helpful.  Below is a video demo of the app.

Get the Apps Gone Free app for more info, or just go to your iTunes store for SCOtutor for iPad.

(disclaimer - this is not my preferred demo, but it does cover it all; he's not Mr. Personality)

SMART Notebook - Infinite Cloner

SMART Notebook's Touch Recognition

Back in the beginning of 2009 SMART released a feature that tremendously helps with your workflow when using the interactive whiteboard.  Please do not get this confused with Notebook's Text Recognition feature.  If you like to frequently use your SMART Board pen tray, writing and annotating, the Touch Recognition feature will allow you to do more while you're holding the pen.  You can write and erase what you have written with the palm of your hand and you can write or draw then move the written text or drawing; all done before you have to put your pen back in the pen tray.

Below are two videos demonstrating this feature.

Our SMART Boards currently have this feature, however it may not be enabled.  If you are interested in trying this feature out and do not have it activated on your interactive whiteboard, please contact me and I will stop by to take care of this for you.

No longer will you have to remember to put the pen back in the tray in order to move your text or drawing around.

AppAdvice - App News, Reviews, and Much More

Previously I mentioned the app directory Appolicious, which is a great directory and social media platform for finding iPad, iPhone or Android apps.  Another one I stumbled upon through the highly resourceful social medium of Twitter is AppAdvice.  This is an extremely resourceful app search service.  Similar to Appolicious, AppAdvice not only features an easy to navigate search directory, but they also offer fresh updates and news on anything iOS (which is referring to your Apple mobile devices; iPad, iPhone, etc).  I believe you will thoroughly enjoy perusing through this site.

Here is an excerpt from their About page:

AppAdvice is the ideal resource on the web for people looking to discover iPhone apps. AppAdvice thoroughly filters through the 60,000+ apps in the App Store to bring you up to date on relevant news regarding apps, as well as providing detailed app reviews.
The focus of AppAdvice.com is not to give you the same monotonous content found all over the web, but rather aggregate it in a useful way making it easy to figure out which apps you should download, that’s it. No Apple or Mac news, just iPhone apps. From our custom AppLists to instantaneously updating our BargainBin to inform you of discounts on apps, AppAdvice aims to be your one stop shop for everything App Store.

And...as they would say in the infomercial business..."but wait there's more", AppAdvice has their own app collection.  Their recent one is free for a limited time - AppStart for iPad.  The same great search/news features offered on their site is now available in a fully packed iPad app.  They also offer their $1.99 AppAdvice app that has their complete, unadulterated version of the AppAdvice service and their FREE iPhone/iPod app AppsGonefree where they feature several apps that have recently become free; which is great for your iPad collection as well.

As mentioned in the excerpt above, AppAdvice's AppLists and AppGuides are a great way to find exactly what you are looking for; from apps for Passover to apps for Filmmakers to Flashcard apps, and much more.

SMART Notebook Toolbar Tool Video Snippet #1 - Text Recognition

I will be putting together less-than-one-minute video demos of each of the tools you can use in the SMART Notebook program.  Here is the first one.

Google Earth iPad App - More Than Meets the Eye

Lately I have been discovering how awesome Google Earth's iPad app is.  To anyone who I have said that it is limiting compared to the desktop application, I want to tell you I was wrong.

Not only is the app a great feature when using maps and geography in the classroom with fluid navigation (iPad's multi-touch makes a huge difference) as well as incorporating your own Google Maps collections, but it offers most of the same great features your desktop version offers accessible at your finger tips.

Indeed, the layers menu only gives you seven choices of data-layers (or an overlay of visual data) - places, businesses, roads, etc.  However, the cool thing I have recently discovered is that you have access to Google Earth's online Gallery.  The Gallery has hundreds of imagery and data-layers that you can add to your Google Earth experience.  From real-time earth quakes to Rumsey Historical Maps to mountain tours.  Visit the Google Earth Gallery.

 

Here's how it works on iPad:

Locate the Options icon in the upper menu bar.  In the drop down menu you will notice access to Google Earth Gallery.

This will take you to the online gallery (while in the app) where you can find hundreds of data-layers with which you can add to your own earth view.  If you find a gallery you are interested in, click "View now"and it will automatically add it to your earth view.

Keep in mind this is a temporary view.  Once you exit out of the app, your view goes to the original settings.  If you need to clear your earth view of any unwanted data layers, simply click on your Options and select "Clear Map".  Below is the David Rumsey historical maps layer showing a contextual popup bubble of a 1733 map.

If I click on the map, an overlay is displayed on my Google Earth app.

Below demonstrates a view of real-time earthquakes around the globe.

As mentioned previously, when you exit the Google Earth app, your chosen data-layers are cleared.  You can also, start fresh and clear your view by selecting Options and "Clear Map".

So, imaging when using your iPad in the classroom being able to display dynamic views of various locations on our planet with enriched layers of data and embedded information making any type of geographical lesson (in any subject) visually engaging, making student meaning and understanding much more clear and exciting.