GoAnimate – make your own films

I tried out this wonderful piece of online software GoAnimate

It could be used by teachers to create presentation or revision resources and tests. Pupils could use it learn and revise and provide their peers with materials to test each other. Although the implications for language learning are clear, this could be used by all subjects.

As a user, you can gain rewards (points, experience which earn you badges), with which you can claim prizes, including characters to use in your animations. The site is well designed and has a lot of features, including connections to social networks.

The free version is more than enough to get started. You can record your add voices and add them to an animation or use the Text-to-Speech tools, including voices in languages besides English.

Here is my small effort (in Spanish).

 

GoAnimate.com: El encuentro by BobToms100

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It’s free and fun!

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Qwikvotes.com – QR code powered questions, votes and polls

 

 

 

Quickly and easily create a vote or poll for multiple voters using Qwikvotes.com. Voters use a QRcode & a smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch+ to vote. Votes can be before, during or after a class or public event. Vote creator gains instant access to a table of results & a graph.

If you an event organiser, you could create a poll for participants. Get instant feedback from them on their favourite speakers or events, enabling you to be more informed and offer the best value for money in future events.

 

If you are a Publisher of digital or traditional print media, you could create a poll that consumers could respond you and enabling you to gain valuable marketing information for any product.

Downloads (PDF format):

Qwikvotes How to guide

Qwikvotes FAQ

Qwikvotes Press Release

 

 

 

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The World in photos – Countryside & Photosynth

So I downloaded all the Microsoft stuff MS ICE and then Photosynth and here are the results:


Countryside scene 360 degrees near Childrey, Oxon

 

 

 

 

Step-by-step process if you’re new to it:

  1. Take photos of a 360 degree panorama and upload to your computer
  2. Create a free Photosynth account (I used my MSN login)
  3. Download and install MS ICE (via link to MS Photosynth website above)
  4. Create New Panorama in MS ICE (my 1st attempt using the ‘Structured Panorama’ didn’t work
    but my 2nd attempt by just dropping the photos from the folder worked in seconds)
  5. Having checked that the panorama looks ok (at 1st I cropped it, but then on trying to
    upload to Photosynth , it wanted the original, uncropped version
    I saved it as JPEG & it was 3.40mb (surprisingly PNG file was enormous 1st time)
  6. Download and install Photsynth
  7. In MS ICE, click on the “Publish to web” button in the bottom rh corner
  8. Login to your Photosynth account (the one created before)
  9. At this point close any up/downloads in progress as you will a lot of bandwidth,
    especially if it’s a large file
  10. Select the (large) file and upload
  11. Go and make a cup of tea!
  12. MS Photosynth doesn’t inform you of when the upload is done (the pause button
    is greyed out when upload is actually complete)
  13. Sign in to your Photosynth and go to your Photosynth page, which should show your
    beautiful panorama in 360 degrees!

If you follow those steps, within about 20 minutes, you should have a completed panorama that you
can show and share, and inspire others to do the same.

Here is the finished results of my 360 degree panorama

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The World in Photos – Madrid around and about I

Those were the days. Many happy memories, which is what a camera is best for capturing. These were taken using my first digital camera and a considerable investment at the time that I thought was worth it. The camera was a Nikon Cool Pix 700, one of the first digital cameras on the market. More memories to come soon.

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Tweecket – An impromptu and enjoyable event

Last night over 100 people, my good self included, participated in a live Twitter event; to come up with songs and films/movies titles related to cricket and cricket persona. As you can see, there was much hilarity and an equal amount of creativity.
Whether you’re familiar with or whether you like cricket or not, it doesn’t matter too much. Just enjoy some of the speedily, yet cleverly, thought up Twitter talk like I did.

Groundhoggard Day

Saving Private Ryan Sidebottom

From Botham Sides Now

Swann Lake

The Holy Bail

Steve McQueen in “Pavillion”

The Vaughan Identity

Life of O’Brien

Pietersen Pan

Bodyline of Evidence

Batsman Begins

Homeward Boundary

The Umpire Strikes Back

Lords of the Flies

Gone With The Windies

Fried Graham Onions At The Whistle Stop Cafe

The Third Man

Stig of the Stump

all the Batman films of course… (set in the fictional metropolis of Botham City)

The long-off Good Friday

The Freddie Truman Show

The Warne Identity

Full Metal Cricket Bat, lead actor Lillee (Aus, 1979)

The Whole 22 Yards

Read the rest of this entry »

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The World in Photos

Evening sky after rain

It’s always good to take a walk, and even more so after a heavy rain shower, and thunder and lightning.

With the summer heat and low pressure from the south, we’d had a couple of heavy downpours, enough to make me rush into the garden and collect the washing on the line as the water was let loose from the sky.

On the way to the supermarket for some pan scrubbers that we needed,  sometimes life does get more exciting than this, I came across a scene; beautiful colours. The sky lit up. It was almost as if it was on fire.

Standing tall

Pylons. Ah, pylons. You know there’s a pylon appreciation society, with all the different shapes and forms of pylons present in the UK, they even have their own website. Amazing. To think that that some people would devote their time and energy into such a pursuit, but they do. If we like something, we do. Fair enough; it is their gain.

I like how this looked this evening. Stalwart and unmoving. Against the elements.

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The World in Photos – Eiffel Tower, Paris

A special anniversary item. Me and Shirley tied the knot 2 years ago today. Here are a few photos taken 3 years ago on our summer trip. That particular summer was amazing. We both visited Paris for the first time. We had glorious weather when it hit the mid-30s by the time we arrived in Paris from Belgium.

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The World in Photos – walking the Grand Union canal

These were taken several miles away from home walking alongside the Grand Union canal.

The start of the good weather which has been with us for a few weeks now was with us that day.

Grand Union1

There were a few barges moored up and even signs of life; brollies hiding inquisitive hounds.

Grand Union2

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The World in Photos – back garden

Asiatic lily

Asiatic lily

This is the first lily of the summer season. Grown and tended with my generous care in the tub in the back garden. Let’s put all our wishes into seeing more handsome examples of the flora.

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The world in Photos – an afternoon in Amersham old town

Flower head

Flower head

I took these in Amersham, a small, picturesque commuter town in the south of  Buckinghamshire, Southern England.

The flowers were taken in the park in the town.

I took them with my Nokia X6 ( Carl Zeiss cam 5MP) which has done a very good job I think.

You can find out more about Amersham from Wikipedia here.

Church, Amersham old town

Church, Amersham old town

Purple pansies

Purple petunias

Church, Amersham old town

Church, Amersham old town

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