Bill Gates' Last Day At Microsoft

Bill Gates gave his last keynote at the 2008 CES show in Las Vegas and he started it out with a spoof of what his last day might be like and includes cameos from a number of Microsoft executives and some Hollywood stars, celebrities and politicians. This video is just an excerpt of the longer keynote.

Catalyze (2007). Careers>Workplace>Multimedia

Blogs, Podcasts and All That Stuff

I think podcasting is powerful because it gives us the opportunity to reach people in ways we cannot with blogs and websites. Don't get me wrong, blogs and sites have their place. But let's face it, people have information overload! It's often a choice between reading your blog and the 15 other things they need to read. But with podcasts, people tell me that they listen via their iPods while in the gym. They burn them to CD and listen in their car during their commute. They listen on their computer with a headset or speakers.

Morley, Catherine. Creative Latitude (2005). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Podcasting

Bring on Rich Media    

Technical communicators must adapt to the changing dynamics presented by the addition of rich media in the technical documentation space. Discover some suggestions for how to do so.

Ortega, Dan. Intercom (2008). Articles>Documentation>Multimedia>Flash

Bye, Bye EMBED

Break the chains of EMBED and live free. Elizabeth Casto explains how to embed movies without using invalid markup.

Castro, Elizabeth. List Apart, A (2006). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>XHTML

Camtasia Studio or Captivate: A Comparison

I have spent the last two weeks switching between Captivate and Camtasia Studio. Talk about schizophrenic. I spent a lot of time trying to remember which command I had to use in which program, but overall it’s been an interesting experience.

Technical Writer (2008). Articles>Multimedia>Video>Screen Captures

Canon Elura 50

Information about how to use the Canon Elura 50 camcorders for technical communication multimedia.

Arnold, Jenni and Christina Kitson. Studio for New Media (2004). Presentations>Multimedia>Documentation>Video

Canon GL2 Digital Camcorder

Introduces developing multimedia using the 'prosumer' Canon GL2 digital camcorder.

Knox, Jessica and Maja Grgurovic. Studio for New Media (2006). Articles>Multimedia>Video

Captioning for QuickTime

There are two methods for adding captions in QuickTime. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. The first allows you to maintain a single file, making the captioned video easier to distribute. The second approach allows you to easily deliver a captioned and non-captioned version of your movie, but requires an understanding of SMIL (it's not too hard).

WebAIM (2003). Design>Multimedia>Accessibility>Video

Captioning for RealPlayer

RealPlayer uses SMIL to combine media content with a RealText (.rt) file. The .rt file contains the captions themselves and information about how and when they should appear. The SMIL file is really just a pointer file. It contains information about where and how your captions and media content should display.

WebAIM (2003). Design>Multimedia>Accessibility>Video

Captioning for Windows Media

Windows Media Player adds captions using Microsoft's Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange (SAMI). SAMI, like SMIL, which is used by Quicktime and RealPlayer, is an XML-based text language. A SAMI file contains the captions and definitions for how and when the captions should display.

WebAIM (2003). Design>Multimedia>Accessibility>Video

Captions and Audio Descriptions for PC Multimedia

This article discusses the various types of captions, when to use captions, as well as the various types of audio descriptions.

Microsoft (2002). Articles>Multimedia>Documentation

Captions and Audio Descriptions for PC Multimedia

This article discusses the various types of captions, when to use captions, as well as the various types of audio descriptions.

Microsoft (2002). Design>Multimedia>Accessibility>Audio

Case Studies in Instructional Technology and Design

Multimedia cases allow novices and experts to explore issues and practice in instructional design. During the course of study in instructional design, often only a few design projects can be completed. Case studies serve as a valuable supplement, providing students with opportunities to experience and respond to complex practice issues in a variety of professional settings. In the process, students reflect on relevant theories and techniques as they attempt to understand a real problem, develop a response, and consider the potential consequences. Once each year, we sponsor a case event, and invite universities across the country to advance a team. Teams analyze the case, while experts pose probling questions, evaluate case responses, and contribute their own perspectives on the cases.

University of Virginia. Academic>Course Materials>Instructional Design>Multimedia

CD-ROM Development At AG Communication Systems: How We Did The Wrong Thing The Right Way  

Time constraints prevented our team from rewriting our user's guide for online use. Early user testing and off-the-shelf electronic tools were key elements that ensured our success in enhancing usability to cancel the deadening effect of data dumping. We added menus and graphical navigation aids for user convenience. Interleaf provided automatic hypertext links and support throughout the project. We included an installation-and-reference guide to inform new-to-online users how to install and use the our product.

McDermott, Roberta J. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>Multimedia>CD ROM

CD-ROM Production: A Primer  

Luongo describes how technical communicators can produce their own CD-ROMs.

Luongo, Al. Intercom (2000). Design>Multimedia>CD ROM

CD-ROM Publishing: Personal Coaching From Industry Experts  

Are you considering publishing your documentation on CD-ROM? Sign up for a consultation with experts from leading CD-ROM firms. NOTE: This 'workshop' takes place in individual 15-minute one-on-one sessions. Please try to arrive early and sign up for your time slot; then you're on your own (visit the exhibits? call your office?) until your session time. This way, all participants receive the complete attention of a CD-ROM consultant. We'll work with drop-ins if any time slots remain unassigned.

Gale, John, Stephanie L. Rosenbaum and Pamela Sansbury. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Multimedia>CD ROM

CD/DVD Duplication Tower

Introduces how to use a CD/DVD duplication tower to make a few copies of your CD, CD-ROM, DVD-video and DVD-ROM multimedia.

Johnson, Rachel and Codi Prachar. Studio for New Media (2006). Presentations>Multimedia>CD ROM

ChromaKey Video Effects

Introduces producing video special effects, using ChromaKey technologies and Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Stanerson, Nick and Nick Boesel. Studio for New Media (2004). Presentations>Multimedia>Video>Final Cut Pro

Clarifying Abstract Concepts Through Multimedia: Principles for Technical Communicators  

Multimedia can sometimes convey meaning in ways that text and graphics alone cannot. This paper offers two principles for understanding how multimedia can clarify abstract concepts. The first principle is that multimedia is excellent for conveying any kind of change, such as change in quantity, size, shape, or relationship. The second principle is that multimedia can help present complex concepts by providing information in both the visual and auditory modes simultaneously. These principles can guide technical communicators in evaluating whether multimedia is a cost-effective way to present their information.

Garb, Rachel and Claudia M. Hunter. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Multimedia>Visual Rhetoric

Clearing Rights for Multimedia Works  

The ground-breaking aspects of undertaking to create a multimedia work are more than just technological; much as the technology is growing by leaps and bounds in response to the needs of creators and consumers, so also must the methods and techniques for transferring from owners to new creators the rights to utilize existing works. As this industry began to take on form and vision, much excited speculation and wonder quickly turned to disbelief, if not outright horror, as creators began to understand what a labyrinth 'clearing rights' would be.

Harper, Georgia K. University of Texas (2003). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>Multimedia

Collaboration Via Desktop Videoconferencing: Evaluating Mentoring Environments  

Based on the need for mentoring, we developed a multimedia configuration that fostered one-on-one connections. In this study, we examine these connections in terms of what strategies mentors use when mentoring and how mentors respond to students. The two case studies indicate that neither of the subjects took full advantage of the multimedia system or the environments in which it functioned: neither mentor chose to manage the computer screen so that they could adequately see their student or chose to monitor the environments in a manner beneficial to their students. However, mentors tended to differentiate between weak and strong writers in this environment.

Duin, Ann Hill, Linda A. Jorn and Lisa Mason. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Multimedia>Mentoring>Collaboration

Come Play! Using Games to Teach, Motivate, and Engage  

What have you done lately to make your training lively, fast-paced, innovative, participative, and imaginative? Baranich and Currie discuss using games in learning and business environments.

Baranich, Karen L. and Cynthia C. Currie. Intercom (1995). Articles>Education>Multimedia>Games

Communicating Effectively With Interaction    

The ability to build interactions that support, enable, and improve communication is a valuable skill for help developers, Web-site designers, multimedia content developers, information-rich user interface designers-anyone who designs and develops information to be used online. This paper presents the basics of interaction design for information products and describes some basic underlying human factors and user-interface design principles.

Ames, Andrea L. ACM SIGDOC (2001). Presentations>Information Design>User Centered Design>Multimedia

Communication Videotape Strengthens ISO 9001 Employee Awareness  

Employee awareness training communication for a new company Quality System is enhanced through an internally produced videotape in interview format showing real people doing real jobs. The videotape introduces guiding principles, shows both company executives and employee co-workers, and places responsibility for successful operation of the Quality System on employees. Audits are pictured to reinforce the requirement for timely and accurate records. The videotape may be used in groups or individually in any location. Success of the communication program is in the continuous improvement of quality, and the auditor’s recommendation for ISO 9001 registration.

Keller, Leland C. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Multimedia>Education>ISO 9001

Comparison of Flash and Director

Only six years ago the web did not support graphics and CD-ROM based games asked users if they had 4Mb of memory on their computer with possible hard drive space of 20Mb to play any games. Today, oh heck, that seems archaic.

David, Matthew. School for Champions (2002). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Flash