Wikisummarizer Adds Keyword Cloud

If you have ever played around with Wordle then you know just how much fun it is to see the keywords from a website jump out at you- visually showing you the topics that have been covered. I was very glad to receive an email from Henry Lewkowicz from Context Discovery that a Keyword Cloud feature has been added to Wikisummarizer. I gave it a try and searched on the term "Assistive Technology" to see how the Keyword Cloud feature would work. Wikisummarizer generated the Keyword Cloud very quickly and when I was done I copied the embed code that was supplied and pasted it into my blog for all of you to see. Works like a charm as you can see- so go give it a try and let me know what you think!

braille Assistive technology disabilities speech design rehabilitation umbrella term keyboard universal design alternative communication

AssistiveTek Introduces the HoverCam T3 Document Camera

It has been an exciting spring searching for new and innovative products for the classroom. In this blog post I will highlight the HoverCam T3 Document Camera one of the new products that is now available from AssistiveTek, LLC. Using your unspent ARRA dollars for the HoverCam T3 is a great way to ensure that teachers will have the tools they need to improve their teaching strategies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email. The HoverCam T3 is compatible with both Macs and Windows computers.

The HoverCam T3 is the ideal document camera for classrooms. It has a 3-megapixel camera and displays clear images of papers, worksheets, newspaper clippings and 3-D objects. Connect it to your computer and projector or drag-and-drop onto your interactive white board to enhance your lessons. Record your voice and HD video with one touch.

HoverCam T3 replaces bulky, lower resolution document cameras. It's ultra-portable with a tiny footprint. It is a simple but powerful device which requires only one USB cable. The HoverCam produces smooth, HD video images that are always in focus with onscreen annotation, making your visual presentation a "wow" experience.

In addition to being a presentation camera, use the T3's scanning ability to digitize your filing system, archive and manage classwork, assignments, artwork, exams and even bills and receipts. It even comes with built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software which can turn notes on paper into text that can be edited on your computer. The included HoverCam Flex Software makes managing scanned files and full screen presentations easy.   

The HoverCam T3 is priced at only $219 dollars which makes it ideal for every classroom. If you look at competitor products you will be paying at least twice the amount for the features that are built into this product.  The HoverCam T3 is compatible with both Macs and Windows computers

Highlights

·         Real time video projection, perfect for interactive teaching, visual presentations, distance learning and online demonstrations.

·         Patent pending LiveZoom™ allows smooth 8X digital zoom.

·         3 megapixel, 200 dpi scanner, with large depth of field for documents and 3D objects, ideal for everyday scanning, copying, faxing, emailing/sharing needs.

·         Small footprint, with a 4" x 5" oval base, 21" height. Weighs just 1.8 lbs.

·         Built-in microphone with one-touch recording, USB-powered, energy efficient.

·         Integration with Cloud Services, such as Dropbox, Evernote and Picasa. Record your meetings, presentations and/or lessons to share with colleagues or students later.

Purchasing the HoverCam T3 High Resolution Document Camera is a great way to spend down your ARRA Funds. Imagine what teachers will be able to do having these tools in the classroom!
When you purchase the HoverCam T3 from AssistiveTek, LLC know that you have the support of a company dedicated to enhancing education and learning in the classroom. Look for Free webinars on how to get the most out of your investment in the HoverCam T3 in the Summer 2011. To keep up with changes in the field of educational technology please follow my blog 

Staying on Course with Goalscape Part 1

About a month ago I had the chance to speak with Richard Parslow from Goalscape about his unique software application called Goalscape which runs on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Having been in the field of psychology and education most of my career I am very aware of just how important it is for us to set goals. Without goals, I know for myself, I am less focused and don't nearly accomplish as much as I know I can. I was just reflecting on a mind map that I created about a year ago that laid out some of my goals for the year. Having my goals visible and spelled out allowed me to see where I was going and what I needed to do to get to my desired objective. When I first set my eyes on Goalscape I was fascinated with the user interface and just how easy it was to use. Goalscape makes a lot of sense as a tool to chart one's goals and to assess one's progress.



I had a chance to interview Richard so that you can learn more about the company and their fine software product, Goalscape. What follows is Part 1 of my interview with Richard Parslow a principal in Goalscape.



BSF: Tell us a little about the Background of your company

RP: Professional sailor Marcus Baur came up with the idea for Goalscape when he was preparing for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He needed a way to communicate with his crewmate and coach about everything they needed to do in every area. Crucially, he also wanted to be able to identify priorities for all the work; and record progress. The original implementation was a hand-drawn version of the Goalscape goal map. Marcus always knew though that he wanted to implement the Goalscape format in a software tool to provide a proper rich display and enable dynamic updates.

BSF: How did you get started?

RP: We produced an initial Java prototype and used it to generate interest in some key markets: sports coaching, business consulting, life management. We sold enough copies to pay for the next stage of development (AS2 version) and progressed from there to the current implementation (AS3 on AIR).



BSF: Who are the principals?

RP: Marcus Baur, Richard Parslow, Emmett Lazich and Malav Shroff



BSF: What re their respective backgrounds? RP: Marcus Baur Managing Director, Germany Marcus is an Architecture graduate. He sailed the 49er skiff class professionally for 12 years, representing Germany at two Olympic Games. He also won 3 European Championships and medaled twice at World Championships.

Emmett Lazich Head of Development, Australia Emmett is another ex-professional sailor. He coached the 49er Olympic Gold Medalists at Sydney 2000 and has twice coached World Championship winners. He is also a software expert and built fault-tolerant systems for Hutchison Telecom in Australia.



Richard Parslow Marketing Director, UK Richard has a background in financial markets and corporate software. He is another World Champion sailor and coached the Team GBR 49er squad from 2001 to 2006, during which time two different teams won World and European titles.



Malav Shroff Director, India Malav was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and joined McKinsey as a consultant. He is a past President of the International 49er Class Association and is now a successful entrepreneur with several strings to his bow. He also competed at the Athens Olympics.

BSF: Tell us about your position at Goalscape?

RP: I work closely with Marcus on all aspects of the marketing: messages; customer communications; website and presentation text and images. I also negotiate deals with our major corporate customers, play “user from hell” in product tests and do first-line customer support.



BSF: Tell us about how you got started with Goalscape

RP: Marcus showed me the original Goalscape prototype at a 49er World Championship where he was competing and I was coaching. I had worked on software development and other projects and I immediately recognized the power and simplicity of the Goalscape display. Shortly after that we set up a company to develop the concept and market the software.



BSF: Who are the intended users?

RP: Anyone who has ambitious or complex goals! Individuals, companies, consultants (in any field), sportsmen, coaches, clubs and federations… even politicians (should they dare to be clear and transparent!).



The degree of motivation in any project depends on the quality of the goal. Putting goals at the center of attention and making them available for discussion increases the quality of such goals.

Good goals make you money, great goals make you happy, compassionate goals help others, but the best goals do all of the above.



BSF: What is the market you see for such a product?

RP: Goalscape is ideal for providing a visual breakdown of any information structure or project, so it is inherently a cross-market tool… Since human beings are inherently goal-achieving creatures, the market is everyone! For now though, we are focusing on Consulting and Executive Mentoring; Sports and Life Coaching; and Presentations.



BSF: Please share with us about the latest release of Goalscape

RP: Goalscape Desktop standalone software (on download) is on version 2.2.1582.610; and Goalscape Connect (for online collaboration) is on version 2.2.1596.173.

Features

Features common to both Goalscape Desktop and Goalscape Connect include:

• Visual model of any information hierarchy, with unlimited number of levels and nodes (goals)

• Clear display and easy adjustment of Relative Importance (size of slice) and Progress (shading)

• Project work planning: Responsibilities, Timescales, etc

• Shows the overview in a single, easily understood image

• Captures detail as Notes text or attachments (any file format)

• Simple to understand, easy to use (no training or even manual required)

• Full video tutorials embedded as “infopoints”

• Simple restructuring using drag & drop

• Color-coding

• Standard hotkey shortcuts

• Smart Search function

• Spellcheck

• User-definable text fields

• Full support infrastructure: as well as the integral ‘infopoint’ video tutorials there is a full online Help package and a very active customer forum.



See also the Full Feature list: http://www.goalscape.com/Goalscape-Tour



Desktop Goalscape Desktop: all features listed in 2.1.1 above, plus:

• Cross-platform: runs equally well on PC Windows, Mac OSX and even the latest versions of Linux

• Facility to ‘save out’ selected parts of a goalscape – for specific (personal) focus or privacy

• Export HTML reports and PNG images

• Dual language support (English and German – more to follow)

• Smart Undo (extends beyond last Save)

• Easy to download, install and update (standard perpetual licence includes unlimited free updates



Cloud Goalscape Connect: all features listed in 2.1.1 above, plus:

• Simple, easy collaboration by simply sharing project URLs: everyone can read and update the same model

• Browser-independent: IE, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc

• Upload goalscapes (.gsp files) created in Goalscape Desktop; download .gsp ‘snapshots’ as backup or for offline work

Enhancements

Corporate branding and other customizations are available for larger deals.

We are working on enhancements in lots of different areas:

• Calendar integration

• Changes in View for Goalscape Desktop (Timeline, Gantt chart)

• Tag and filter

• Enhanced reporting

• Direct print

• Synergetic and recurring goals display

• Budgeting tool (using absolute values rather than percentages, eg $ figures)

• Add platforms (iPhone, other smartphones and touch devices)

• Autosave

• Document history (facilities to compare versions, show latest changes, etc)

• Look and feel tweaks like full goal coloring instead of border colors

• 3D view! …and many more!



Users are also welcome to contribute their own Feature Requests in the public Goalscape “Make Goalscape even better” in Goalscape Connect:



https://connect.goalscape.com/#/goal/D6E22975-581B-9187-4802-D0A87B8D3A0D

PersonalBrain 5 Released

PersonalBrain 5.0 Released: Dynamic Mind Mapping Software Helps Users Take Control and Leverage Information by Visualizing Connections and Capturing Users’ Thoughts

PersonalBrain 5.0 Offers: New Visualizations, Import of Many File Formats and Augmented Mac OS Integration

Marina del Rey, CA.—Jan 6, 2009—TheBrain Technologies announced that PersonalBrain 5.0, the latest version of its powerful information visualization and organization software is now available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. PersonalBrain 5.0 will be unveiled at Macworld 2009 at booth #3419, North Hall.

PersonalBrain’s award-winning dynamic interface enables users to link all ideas, files, and Web pages so people can better understand their information, see hidden connections, and liberate themselves from linear file organization.

Current systems such as folders, search lists, and email fail to connect different concepts, people, projects and their digital information associatively. PersonalBrain gives users a conceptual space that puts ideas at the forefront, creating a dynamic network of visually connected Thoughts that represent the user’s mind.

Designed for people who need to analyze, brainstorm and synthesize a wide variety of information both on their local computer and on the Internet, PersonalBrain lets users express key relationships across all information sources, so underlying thinking and key ideas are instantly visible. All files, documents and web pages can be instantly recalled and retrieved with PersonalBrain and displayed with all related connections so key information is easily discovered.

PersonalBrain 5.0 Feature Highlights

• Powerful “outline” view enables a broader view while retaining the flexibility of a networked structure
• Visual tagging gives another way to find information and enhances the ability to use PersonalBrain for Getting Things Done.
• Presentation mode enables full screen visualization that easily avoids the tedium of slideshow presentations
• Save customized layouts created in the “expanded” view
• Import of outlines and mind maps created in many other programs lets users upgrade their existing data into a scalable associative network

• Augmented Mac OS X Functionality
• Spotlight integration enables searching of information in the context of how it’s all connected
• Address Book, iCal, and Apple Mail integration enables users to tie all the information on their Mac together seamlessly
• QuickLook integration enables users to instantly preview attachments
• Specially created Mac OS X look and feel fits in seamlessly
• Enhancements throughout PersonalBrain make everything from scrolling through information with the mouse wheel to creating reports faster and easier.

“PersonalBrain enables us to take control of the volumes of information that we are inundated with and organizes ideas and content based on our unique thinking and perspective,” said Harlan Hugh, Chief Technology Officer of TheBrain. “PersonalBrain 5.0’s new importing features make it even easier to get started. Powerful new visualization and tagging features give users an increased level of semantic meaning in their Brains to see and discover key information relationships and capture critical thinking.”

Pricing and Availability

PersonalBrain 5.0 is offered in three editions for immediate download: Free, Core, and Pro. PersonalBrain Free is offered at no charge and lets anyone link ideas and Web pages, images and notes. Pro and Core editions are priced as follows: PersonalBrain Pro $249.95, PersonalBrain Core $149.95. PersonalBrain 4 users can upgrade to 5.0 for $74.95. The upgrade is free for users who purchased PersonalBrain 4 after June 1, 2008.PersonalBrain runs on Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.4+, and many flavors of Linux.

Wordle- "Word Clouds"

For some time now I have been playing around with Wordle, a web based application that can take your text or feed from your blog and create "word clouds" which you can display or post to the web. It is an interesting visualization tool and one that gives you some context, at least for me, about what I have been writing about. I recently entered my blog URL into Wordle and came up with this word cloud. What do you think of Wordle?