Entries Tagged 'Useful Tools' ↓

I’m not often really blown away by a new site but this one has really impressed me. Jumpcut is a system which allows users to create their own videos online quickly and easily.

To make a video you just need to:

• Upload titles and imagery.
  
• Upload your video clips (it doesn’t seem to complain much about formats which is nice).
  
• Upload background music.
  
• Whack it all together using a very simple interface.
  

I managed to put one together in five minutes flat - and the best thing is it’s already up on the web ready to add to your site. None of that waiting three hours for it to upload nonsense.

It’s beautifully made, ridiculously easy to use and is something I’ll definitely be using for projects in the future.

Sites like this are another step along the road to allowing anyone to create without needing a ton of equipment. Good one guys.

UPDATE: Also just found Eyespot which does a similar thing; will let you know how I get on with it.

technorati tags:JumpCut, OnlineVideo

If you’re interested in reading, take a look at Library Thing. It’s a social networking site based around books, enabling you to hook up with others who are interested in the same sorts of things as you are.

One nice feature is that they’ve encouraged a number of authors to sign up. A good example of how content creators are starting to connect more directly with their audience.

If you’re a Blogging, Flickr or Del.icio.us addict then it’s worth checking out Flock, “the social web browser”.

You can blog, post photos, read RSS feeds all using the software. My favourite feature after only using it for a day is the ability to post favourites and have them go straight into your del.icio.us account. Sad isn’t it.
I’m using it right now to write this post and I must say it’s pleasant being able to write my post directly into the browser - however it is a bit limited in that you can only post, not edit or anything else.

I’m trying not to get too attached to it though - my money is on the fact that Google are probably developing their own version of this right as we speak. It probably won’t be long before they yet again sweep away this little niche of the market by simply doing it better than anyone else.

I’ve been using a few really excellent new tools recently which I thought would be worth sharing.

Google Calendar
Finally a usable online calendar system - enables you to share calendars, view multiple overlayed calendars at the same time etc.
http://calendar.google.com

MindManager
Excellent Mind Mapping software - useful for pretty much everything.
http://www.mindjet.com/uk/

And finally, the best thing since sliced bread….

Basecamp
http://basecamphq.com/
If you run projects of any kind, make sure to check this out. It’s free to use (for the basic version) and facilitates easy communication (files, messages, to do lists etc) between all members of a project. Everyone I know now uses it.

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