Edit Your Videos for Free By Ira Wilsker   WEBSITES: http://download.live.com/moviemaker http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-video-editor.htm http://www.avidemux.org http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/ http://www.videospin.com               Since the advent of digital film, it seems that almost all of us now have a digital movie camera of some sort.  My two year old cell phone, which is not a technical marvel when compared to what is available today, has a simple video camera.  Every section of every class that I am teaching this semester is video recorded, allowing my students to review precisely what we covered in class.  There are now decent digital video cameras that are not much larger than a deck of cards, and are often advertised for less than $100.  It seems that almost nothing happens now that someone is not video recording.  Once recorded, we often have hours of digital video that are in sore need of editing in order to make the video more appealing to viewers.  Our videos may be used for strictly private home use or show up on YouTube where there may be countless viewers.  The big box stores have several, often expensive, utilities that can be used for video editing, but as is common in the software industry, there are also some very functional free video editors available.             One of the most widely used free video editors is Microsoft's Movie Maker, a part of the Windows Live service, available for download from download.live.com/moviemaker.  Movie Maker will run on Vista or Windows 7.  While most Windows Live utilities will run on XP, Microsoft says, Windows Live Movie Maker is not available for Windows XP or earlier versions of Windows.  Movie Maker incorporates a tool-box of intuitive and easy to use tools that can edit video, incorporate music, add titles, and incorporate special effects.  Using the integral AutoMovie feature, the software will invoke a wizard to add a title, display credits, and add transitions and special effects, resulting in a file that is ready to show or upload to services such as YouTube.  Movie Maker can also utilize still images to create animated slide shows complete with music, transitions, and effects, with the output looking much like a video.  The output of Movie Maker can be saved to the hard drive or other digital media, or burned to a CD or DVD disc.  Since it is free and widely used, Microsoft's Movie Maker may be a worthwhile video editing utility to try first.             Recently, I wrote about one of my favorite websites, Gizmo's Freeware Reviews (www.techsupportalert.com), which reviews and rates free software.  On its recently updated ratings of the best free video editing software (www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-video-editor.htm), Gizmo gave his highest rating to the French freeware video editor Avidemux, version 2.5.2, available for direct download from fixounet.free.fr/avidemux.  Gizmo summarized Avidemux with the statement that it is, Powerful, Easy to use (and has) Well documented tutorials.  As with any other video editing program, it can be confusing.  While originally written for Linux based computers, Avidemux has been rewritten to also run on BSD, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows under the GNU GPL license.  The Windows version will run on both 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows.  According to its home page at fixounet.free.fr/avidemux, Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities.  I downloaded Avidemux (Windows version, 12.5 mb), and it installed smoothly and quickly.  I tried some of the simple editing tasks in its Video Filter Manager, and they appeared to work smoothly.  While I am no expert at video editing, I was able to perform the listed tasks including cropping and color corrections, and Avidemux worked very well.  For someone with some sense of graphics and artistic talent, Avidemux would be an excellent choice.             Since I lack a lot of artistic skills, I like simplicity when it comes to graphics software, and that is why I have been a long time user of the free VideoSpin video editor published by Pinnacle Software.  Available from www.videospin.com, the software is a large 162mb download.  VideoSpin is one of the simplest video editors to use, based on my own experiences.  While lacking some of the more advanced features of more sophisticated (and expensive) video editing software, VideoSpin is reasonably feature rich with a very simple front end interface that makes video editing a simple process.  For those who try this free version of VideoSpin and like it, but want additional features, there is a commercial version available.  The newly released version 2.01, in addition to the traditional video formats, now also supports QuickTime and 3GP video formats.  One interesting feature of the new version of VideoSpin is the ability to save videos in a higher quality and widescreen format, compatible with YouTube's newest standards.  Users can also directly upload their output directly to YouTube.  VideoSpin has an enormous and loyal following that have created countless videos for a multitude of purposes.  One reason for its wide use and popularity are the tutorial videos, some made by users, that clearly demonstrates how to create, edit, and distribute videos using VideoSpin.  These tutorials can be viewed by clicking on the How To link on the menu bar at the top of the VideoSpin webpage.  For those who need additional help, VideoSpin has a very active Community which includes a number of forums where users can post questions or request help, with a response likely in a short period of time.  VideoSpin will run on almost any contemporary PC with a Pentium or AMD processor with a speed of at least 1.4 GHz, but faster chips are recommended.  XP users should have at least 512 mb of RAM, and Vista users need at least 1 gb in order for VideoSpin to run.  Since editing video files is graphically intensive, a video card that is DirectX 9 (or higher) compatible, and has at least 64 mb of video RAM is required; almost all video cards manufactured in the past several years would meet that standard.  Being a large program, 150 mb of available hard drive space is required to install the software, and much more space may be necessary to store video files.  VideoSpin was the very first video editing software I ever used, and still use it.  For the user who wants an easy to use free video editor, VideoSpin would be an excellent choice.             Any of the above free video editors will serve the typical home user well, and each would be worthwhile to download and try.  With any of these three free utilities, there is no reason not to have well edited and interesting videos.

February 13, 2010

The Best Free Software According to Gizmo By Ira Wilsker
 

WEBSITES:

 

http://www.techsupportalert.com

http://www.techsupportalert.com/secwiz

http://www.techsupportalert.com/pc/security-tools.html

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/easily-find-powerpoint-slides-and-presentations-using-site.htm

http://www.slidefinder.net

http://www.techsupportalert.com/view/hot

http://www.techsupportalert.com/tutorials 

 

            In these tough economic times, many of us are finding it difficult to afford new software for our computers.  Locally and on line we can shop and sometimes find some deals on software, but if money is especially tight, some of us would choose to do without.  Alternatively, there has always been a huge assortment of free software or "freeware" available that can adequately accomplish almost all computing tasks.  While there are some mega-sites such as download.com and tucows.com that each carry thousands of software titles, many of which are freeware, there are also some lesser known websites that provide comprehensive information and reviews about freeware.  One recent find that has now become one of my favorites is Gizmo's Freeware Reviews, at techsupportalert.com.

 

            Upon accessing the Gizmo website, the user is greeted with a graphical menu containing 20 categories of software, including cleanup, educational, games, Linux, security, programming, security, system tools, and a dozen others.  In addition to free software, Gizmo offers additional categories of information in its navigation window on the left side of the main page.  These additional categories include the Best Tech Websites, How-to Guides and Tutorials, Freeware Updates, Security Advice Wizard, and Video Tutorials, as well as some housekeeping functions.

 

            Since I am very concerned about cyber security, I chose to open the Security link from the front page graphical menu, one of the 20 possible selections.  I was greeted with a listing of about two dozen Gizmo articles on security software and related topics.  Ranked in order of number of hits, and indication of the popularity of each topic, the first security article is "Best Free Antivirus Software", which has had nearly 1.4 million hits.  Opening the antivirus article, the user is greeted with a non-technical explanation of antivirus software, followed by a discussion of what Gizmo has determined as the best of the many free antivirus utilities.  Gizmo awarded Avira AntiVir Personal Edition its top pick, narrowly beating out Microsoft Security Essentials, which is actually Gizmo's personal choice.  Each review is hyperlinked to a section farther down on the webpage, called the "Quick Selection Guide" which summarizes the pros and cons of each recommended product, download links, file size, latest version, 32 and 64 bit compatibility, installation tips, a discussion forum, and online help.  The other recommended antivirus products are Avast!, and a-squared Free. 

 

For those who might need help in deciding which security products would be most appropriate for their personal circumstances, Gizmo offers a "Security Advice Wizard" at techsupportalert.com/secwiz where the user selects his operating system, and answers some simple questions about internet habits and personal computer skills.  Upon completing the wizard, Gizmo makes a recommendation of an antivirus product and a firewall.  I tried the wizard using a variety of operating systems and levels of experience, and the wizard arrived at reasonable recommendations for each.  The user who follows the wizard's recommendations will likely be well served by its picks.

 

In addition to having information and reviews on software products, Gizmo also offers a wide selection of other helpful services and information.  One that I found exceptionally useful and interesting was a listing of PowerPoint slides and presentations, under the heading "Easily Find PowerPoint Slides and Presentations Using This Site" at www.techsupportalert.com/content/easily-find-powerpoint-slides-and-presentations-using-site.htm.  I do a lot of PowerPoint presentations in a variety of settings and to different audiences, and often have some difficulties coming up with material.  Gizmo may be of great help locating material, and one such resource linked on Gizmo is Slidefinder, at www.slidefinder.net. Available in 23 languages, Slidefinder has proven to be an outstanding resource, capable of locating individual slides and complete presentations on thousands of topics.  One of the most frequent PowerPoint presentations that I do is on identity theft; entering the term "identity theft" in the search box displayed Slidefinder's limit of 1000 items.  Scrolling over the displayed slides (20 per page), opens a larger image of the selected slide and also displays any notes integrated with the slide.  A link to the full PowerPoint file is also displayed, and a simple right-click on the file name and selecting "Save Link As" will download the complete file.  The primary source of the PowerPoint slides and files are hundreds of universities from all over the globe, as well as government agencies, organizations, trade associations, and other sources.

 

Another very beneficial section of the Gizmo website is the "Hot Finds" at www.techsupportalert.com/view/hot. 

This selection displays software deals, mostly free, offered by the commercial software publishers for a limited time.  As I type this, some of the commercial software being offered for free includes PC performance enhancing utilities, anti-malware utilities, backup utilities, graphics editors, and many others.  Frequently checking this list may provide the user with an occasional gem of commercial software either for free, or at a ridiculous low price, such as a recent offer (now expired) for a top rated $30 anti-malware product available for the paltry sum of 99 cents (I purchased 6 copies).

 

Many users sometimes need some help with accomplishing some computer tasks, or may even find some tasks that may need to be performed that they may have been unaware of.  Gizmo has a "How-to Guides and Tutorials" section at www.techsupportalert.com/tutorials, with over 50 topics listed.  The most widely used tutorial "How to Make Vista Run Faster" has been viewed over 300 thousand times.  Other tutorials cover different browsers, backing up critical files, improving performance, creating a bootable rescue CD, how to reduce spam, and many other helpful and useful subjects.  The Gizmo tutorials are presented in a readable non-technical fashion that is easy to follow and implement,

 

Gizmo has a wealth of information available, including free software that has been reviewed and evaluated, as well as tutorials and other valuable information.  I subscribed to both the RSS feed and email alerts so I can always be promptly informed of any new articles and software added to Gizmo.  Stop by www.techsupportalert.com and see what treasures that you might find.

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February 06, 2010

Scumware and Scareware Warning and Removal By Ira Wilsker 

 

WEBSITES:

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/popup121109.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-09-cybergangs-scareware-hackers_N.htm

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-scareware.html

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=4297

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123976230407519659.html

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-download.php

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/database/mbam-rules.exe

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

http://download1.emsisoft.com/a2usb.zip

http://www.threatfire.com

http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx  

 

            Many of you have had the experience of having a popup or window open on your computer that tells you that your computer is infected with a substantial quantity of viruses, worms, Trojans, and other forms of spyware.  Typically, these warning messages, which may appear to be authentic Windows warnings, instruct the user to “click here” to remove the malware.  Upon clicking, another window opens which solicits a fee, typically $29.95 to $49.95 (or more) to purchase software to remove the infection.  The software being offered has an attractive and professional looking interface, and often carries a name that is intended to inspire confidence, sometimes even being similar to reputable product names that we have heard of before.  Trying to close the window often results in the popup reappearing again, almost instantly.  If we choose to ignore the warning or close it, it may continue to reappear whenever we click on a webpage, open our own already installed programs or security software, or randomly.  These warnings may scare us, or become so intrusive that many of us will pay to purchase the recommended software to clean our computers of malware and restore the usability of our machines.  By doing so, at a minimum, we just became the victim of a scam that according to the FBI has duped Americans out of an estimated $150 million. 

If it was only money that was lost, the damage would be bad enough, but the infection and hijacking that produced the popups and warnings in the first place may have also destroyed our existing antivirus software, deactivated our firewall, transmitted our vulnerabilities to unknown miscreants, and made our computers vulnerable to continued attacks.  Purchasing, downloading, and installing this rogue software may possibly also open us up to even worse attacks such as turning our computers into spam sending zombies that can generate massive income for the zombie master.  Other identified hazards of this software may include the installation of keylogging software to steal our usernames, passwords, and credit card information to be sold on illicit websites for criminal purposes including credit card fraud and identity theft.  Simply put, your computer may physically be in your home, but for all practical purposes it belongs to some crook somewhere who in reality has control over it for nefarious and pecuniary reasons.

            This may sound like science fiction or the theme of an action movie, but the scenario is a sad reality that has been repeated on millions of personal computers.  The victims of this scam may have visited websites, often legitimate websites, that have been victimized themselves by hackers who installed the dangerous code that can infect a computer by simply opening a webpage, causing the malware to be loaded onto the victim computer.  In some other cases the infection can occur by clicking on an apparently authentic looking online advertisement, opening an email attachment, or simply doing other online activities.  A lot of the victims clicked on links posted on Twitter, YouTube comments, instant messages, links illicitly planted in search engine results, and ads posted on legitimate websites. Many of these “drive-by” infections are explicitly designed to evade antivirus and anti-spyware software, and once on the computer, may destroy the ability of the antivirus and anti-spyware to provide any future protection.  The authors of this malware are smart, and if the legitimate security software is indeed neutralized, it will still appear to load and even update, as well as display the program icon in the tray by the clock, giving the user a false sense of security that his computer is still protected.  Not just is the computer no longer protected, but some of the malware sends out invitations to other cyber crooks to visit the buffet of purloined computers and help themselves to the bounty of goodies that may be available, as well as allow them to install additional spyware and malware on the victimized computer. 

Some of this illicit activity is done in a multi-level marketing or pyramid model where cyber criminals can pay the master crook for access, and then resell this access to others, who can then sell to others, each paying a fee or commission that is passed up the line to the master crook.  This is not some obscure threat or risk that we face, but a very common occurrence.  According to the security company F-Secure’s senior researcher Mikko Hypponen, one of these master criminals recently ran a contest offering a $36,000 Lexus sedan to the top-selling affiliate.  According to a report in USA Today, in 2008,  SecureWorks researcher Stewart infiltrated a Russian group known as the Baka Software gang. He accessed documentation showing one affiliate earned $146,525 in 10 days by spreading promotions for a worthless program, called Antivirus XP 2008, to more than 154,000 people, and closing sales to 2,772 of them. Another record showed five top Baka Software affiliates earning weekly commissions averaging $107,604.  In another example of the degree of infection, Microsoft reported that its Malicious Software Removal Tool found one specific fake security program on 4.4 million computers!  There are hundreds or thousands of these rogue programs currently infesting countless millions of computers.  This begs an answer to a rhetorical question; would you really want to give your credit card number and security code to a crook that is probably in Russia?  If you fell for this scam, contact your credit card company immediately and tell them what happened; also ask them to chargeback the charges made on your card by the crooks.

            If you feel that you have been victimized there are some free utilities that can likely detect and kill the malware.  Since much of this malware will not be initially detected by the protective software on our computers, and may in fact neutralize the protection that we do have, simply performing a scan with the security software we already have may provide little or no benefit.  It should also be noted that if the user cannot access the websites of the legitimate utilities that can detect and kill the malware, that is a sure symptom that the victim computer is under the control of the cyber crook.

            I am now receiving daily emails and phone calls from people describing a similar problem, complete with the typical symptoms of a scumware or scareware infection.  I have had very good results with a few free utilities that will likely detect and kill the malware, and remove it from our machines.  While there can be no guarantees that they will continue to work well, they do have a proven track record, and so far, have fared well in this cat and mouse game where the cyber crooks keep developing something new, and the security companies have to come up with a way to detect and kill the infection.

            My first choice is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, available for download from www.malwarebytes.ORG.  I emphasized the .ORG because there have been knock-off websites with other upper-level domains designed to explicitly scam people looking for the authentic product.  Malwarebytes has both a free version and a commercial version.  As is customary, the paid commercial version has more features and capabilities, but the free version is fine for detecting and removing most malware.  Download it (probably from a link redirecting the user to CNet’s Download.com), install it, update it, and perform a scan.  A quick scan will detect malware in the most common locations in just a few minutes, but a full scan will be much more thorough, and may take an hour or two to run.  If the user cannot directly access the malwarebytes.org website, but is redirected somewhere else or totally blocked, then that is a sure sign that the computer has been hijacked.  If this happens, download Malwarebytes to another computer, and copy it to a flash drive or CD, and install it from that media.  It may also be a good idea to manually download the latest updated signature files (called rules), from www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/database/mbam-rules.exe, as access to the update server may also be blocked on the infected computer.  Install the Malwarebytes on the infected computer, and then run the file mbam-rules.exe to update the software.  If there is memory resident malware detected, Malwarebytes may direct the user to reboot the computer, and Malwarebytes will then automatically rerun at boot, killing the malware before it can load.  Update it and rerun it frequently to help keep your computer clean of malware.

            The other utility that I use along with Malwarebytes to detect and kill malware is A-Squared Free, available for download from www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/.  A-Squared Free has a commercial sister product, A-squared Anti-Malware (www.emsisoft.com/en/) with more features and a memory resident component that provides real time protection in addition to the security software already on the computer.  Both versions also integrate a full featured virus scanner to detect more than most other scanners.  Download one of the versions of A-Squared (the free version is adequate if the user only wants to detect and remove malware and viruses), install it, and update it.  Do a quick scan for a quick clean, and a deep scan to detect more potential threats.  A-Squared also detects fragments, or pieces of code that may be a threat.  Since a detector as sensitive as A-Squared may occasionally detect a file and label it as a threat, but it is really a false-positive, I choose to initially quarantine anything that is found, rather than delete it.  That way, I can recover any files that may have been misdiagnosed.  A-Squared is another product whose website is commonly blocked by malware, in order for the malware to protect itself from removal.  If that happens, the A-Squared software can be downloaded to another computer, and copied to a flash drive or CD, and installed from that.  An alternative designed explicitly for just such an occurrence is A-Squared Emergency USB Stick Files (download1.emsisoft.com/a2usb.zip).  This version, which is kept up to date continuously on the Emsisoft website, is a 67mb download which contains all of the necessary files, is intended to be copied to a flash drive, and installed on the infected computer from that media.

            After the computer is cleaned of malware, the user will often notice a marked increase in performance.  Do not be complacent, because you may still be victimized even though your computer is likely clean.  Since your logons, user names, and passwords may have been compromised, it would be a good idea to change them, and repeat the scanning process on a frequent and regular basis.  It may also be necessary to reinstall your security software, as it may have been destroyed by the malware.  Consider installing another layer of security that works in addition to your security software, and enhances your protection, making a re-infestation less likely.  The paid commercial versions of Malwarebytes or A-Squared Anti-Malware would be good choices, or a freeware product such as Threatfire (www.threatfire.com) would provide enhanced protection in addition to the traditional security software.

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January 30, 2010

Downloading and Converting YouTube Videos By Ira Wilsker
 

WEBSITES:

http://www.forinside.com – Online download and conversion

http://www.downloadhelper.net – FireFox Add-on and converter

http://www.orbitdownloader.com – Automated downloader

http://www.download-youtube.com -- Online download

http://www.videolan.org – Free universal video player

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software.htm
 

            I frequently get emails from readers of this column and listeners of my radio show regarding problems they are having.  While I cannot guarantee an effective answer, I can at least try to help them out, or tell them where they can find a solution.  Some of the more interesting, or more common questions I will occasionally post here under the premise that if a few of you are having a similar problem, then many others are having a similar problem.

 

            Last Friday I was forwarded an email that had been bouncing around one of the departments at Lamar University about how to download YouTube videos and convert them to a format that can be used in PowerPoint.  Some of the faculty have rightly found that there is some useful content on YouTube that is applicable to academic lectures, and they would like to use this information in class.  Fortunately, there are several good solutions.
 

            My personal first choice in downloading YouTube videos and converting them into a format that can play in PowerPoint, or on most video players, is a free add-on for the FireFox browser called DownloadHelper ( www.downloadhelper.net).  DownloadHelper is extremely popular with FireFox users, having been downloaded and installed about 54 million times!  DownloadHelper places a small icon on the bottom edge of the browser window consisting of three colored balls; when the balls become animated, the DownloadHelper menu becomes available by clicking on the icon.  Left clicking on the icon shows the title of the video, and clicking the title downloads the video in YouTube's native FLV format to your computer.  Right clicking on the icon opens the menu which allows the user to convert the video into any of many popular formats.  Alternatively, clicking on the three-ball icon that appears to the left of the video title at the top of the screen opens a one-click menu that offers all of the options.  The one that I use most often is the "Download and Convert" which can download and convert the video in a single action.  For compatibility purposes, especially when embedding the video in PowerPoint, I mostly select the WMV (Windows media format), but sometimes choose the QuickTime MOV, or AVI formats.  For those who do not have FireFox installed, it is available free at getfirefox.com, and does not interfere with any other browser on the computer.
 

            For those using any browser, there are several free online services that will download YouTube (and other) videos to your computer, and some will also convert them to popular formats for you.  Even though its server is frequently busy and located in Brazil, I like Forinside, at www.forinside.com. Forinside is extremely easy to use; all the user needs to do is copy the URL (web address) of the video and paste it into the textbox, and use the pull down menu to select a format.  Clicking the download button will start the process.  Forinside can convert online videos into any of the 10 most widely used formats, and can download videos and audio from YouTube, MySpace, Google Video, and Mp3Tube.  For those who already have videos on their computers that they would like to convert into other formats, Forinside offers that service for free.  Simply click on the orange "File" tab, then "Browse" your hard drive for the file you want converted.  Use the pull down menu to select any of the 10 formats available, click on "Convert" and Forinside will upload the original video to its server, convert it to the chosen format, and then download it to your computer in the new format.  Your original video remains intact on your computer.  As stated above, the Forinside server is often very busy.

            Another service that can download YouTube videos directly to your computer is Download-YouTube.com.  This site is very easy to use from any browser.  Simply open the desired YouTube page, and in the address bar of your browser insert  the phrase "download-" (download hyphen) before the word "YouTube " in the URL, and the user will be directed to the Download-YouTube web page.  On the Download-YouTube page either click on the "Click here to download" link, or right click and "Save Link As" or "Save target as" and the file will be downloaded in the native YouTube FLV format.

            One of the easiest free YouTube downloaders is Orbit Downloader, available at www.orbitdownloader.com. This download tool has some of the highest editor and user ratings on the popular download sites, and can accelerate downloading of not just YouTube videos, but most general downloads as well.  Orbit Downloader integrates seamlessly into Internet Explorer, FireFox, and Opera, and includes a "Get It" button that appears when connecting to YouTube that offers a single click download.  YouTube videos will be downloaded in their native FLV format.
 

            There is a free bundle of video software that can download YouTube and other media, convert them to most formats, and even edit video and audio files.  The software bundle aptly named "Free Studio" contains 23 video and audio utilities, and is a 30 Meg download available for free download from www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software.htm. According to the publisher of Free Studio, "With this free software you can convert video and audio files between different formats and to iPod, PSP, iPhone, BlackBerry and other portable devices; burn and rip DVDs and audio CDs; upload and download videos and music to your computer, iPod, PSP, iPhone and BlackBerry; perform basic editing of audio and video files."  This bundle, reviewed and top rated by several of the major download sites, may be a worthwhile bundle to download and install.
 

            If there is a need to convert the YouTube FLV videos, or any other video formats, into a more useful format, such as WMV or MOV, a utility called "Any Video Converter Freeware" may be useful, as it supports dozens of video and audio formats, and can easily convert files between these formats.  This software is available for download from
 

www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free, and according to its publisher, has been downloaded over 25 million times.  The online service CNet gave Any Video Converter Freeware its highest 5-star editors' rating.
 

If your only need is to play downloaded YouTube videos, there is an easy and free solution that does not require any conversion utilities.  YouTube's FLV format can be played on the universal video player (free) VideoLAN - VLC Media Player (www.videolan.org ).  The VLC media player is one of the most widely used video players in the world, with over 110 million downloads, and has earned a very loyal following.  VLC media Player can play almost every available video and audio format without the need for any plug-ins or add-ons, and is available for free, and will run on almost every operating system.
 

With these utilities and services, downloading YouTube and other videos and converting them into another useful format is simple.  I routinely use such downloads in class both as individual videos, and as videos embedded in PowerPoint.  There is much that can be done with online videos, and these utilities and services are worthy of a try.

January 23, 2010

More Helpful Tools from Google By Ira Wilsker
 

WEBSITES:

http://www.google.com/goog411/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN0q8SvlQAk

http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Street_View

http://code.google.com/apis/maps
 

It is no secret that Google is one of the most sophisticated, progressive, and successful technology companies.  What started as a search engine has become much more, as more technology is incorporated on the web.  Google has been very successful by implementing more useful tools and utilities, providing more value to its users.  Some of Google's more interesting features which I have been recently utilizing are its "411" information service, and Google Maps "Street View".
 

     Many of our local phone companies and wireless carriers charge a fee for using the once free 411 directory assistance service to find phone numbers.  In recent years some 411 information competitors have come on the scene offering a variety of directory assistance services either for a fee, or after listening to a mandatory commercial advertisement.  Google has entered the fray with its new, free, GOOG-411 service.  According to Google's 411 website (google.com/goog411), "Google's new 411 service is free, fast and easy to use. Give it a try now and see how simple it is to find and connect with local businesses for free.  Your telephone company may apply usual charges for making a phone call or receiving an SMS. You will not be charged any additional 411 fee."¯  The process of getting directory assistance from Google is very simple three step process: first, dial 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone; then state the location and business type. Google will then connect you to the business for free.  That is all there is.  I just tried it by calling the 800 number, giving my city and the name of my favorite restaurant, and Google connected me directly to the restaurant!  It was that fast and easy, and it was free.  This 411 service could be very useful not just locally, but while traveling, or looking for a distant phone number.  A non-local phone number connected in this manner is connected without incurring a long distance charge when 1-800-GOOG-411 is dialed from a home phone.
 

Google Maps has been a mainstay and leader in the online mapping business.  In an earlier column I expounded on how useful Google Maps (maps.google.com) is for generating local and long distance driving directions.  Recently, Google Maps released the latest iteration of its "Street View"¯ feature which shows integrated street level photos of almost every street in the United States, as well as most major cities in Europe, Australia and eastern Asia, and is currently generating street level photos in several countries in South America.  As an experiment, I entered the street address of The Examiner into Google Maps, and was presented with the traditional street map by default.  The street map had buttons on the top to display the same area as a high resolution satellite image, a hybrid with streets overlaid on the satellite image, or as a topographic map.  On the top left corner of the image was what Google calls its "Pegman"¯ icon, a small orange image of a man that some users say looks more like a wooden clothes pin.  By dragging the Pegman (click on the Pegman icon holding down the left mouse button and moving the cursor) over the chosen location opened a new window on the top half of the image.  This top window was an interactive street level image which could be zoomed in or out, rotated in any direction, and dragged up and down the street.  The location determined for The Examiner by Google Maps based on the street address was off by about one-half block.  Dragging the image a few inches, the Examiner building, parking lot, and cars came into view.  An additional photo of the park across the street from the Examiner was also available, as displayed on the map.
 

For a second experiment I entered my street address, selected the hybrid satellite view, and dragged Pegman over the image of my house.  When the top street level image opened, I saw that it was actually one house north of my house.  I dragged the image slightly south, and there was a clear image of my house, complete with my white van parked in the driveway.
 

Google says on its website that these Street View images have a lot of functionality including personal use, business use, and educational use.  With Street View the user can easily explore the world visualizing the selected locations.  Since these images have been taken by GPS and laser range finding equipped Google vehicles driving up and down the streets, a lot more than just buildings have been captured.  Google and several independent websites have posted hundreds of unexpected and interesting Street View images captured by Google including fires, auto wrecks, romantic encounters, crimes, street entertainment, and countless other events captured by Google as they occurred.  For those concerned with privacy issues, Google says, "We then apply cutting-edge face blurring technology, which helps make sure that passers-by in the photographs can't be identified. We will also blur legible license plates."¯
 

Users who have smart phones or other mobile internet devices can use Street View to view images of specific destinations, landmarks on street routes, parking lots, and other helpful scenes and integrate these with driving or walking directions.  According to Google, these are some of the actual uses that people have posted, including looking for public transit, at a nearby beach, and other points of interest.  Many times the Street View can give better and more useful information that just a traditional street map.  Businesses can use the service to promote their businesses by showing their building facade, nearby buildings and features, and other attractions.  Real estate agents have been using the service to show neighborhoods around their listings, and conduct virtual neighborhood tours.  Some teachers have used Street View to conduct virtual field trips, as well as integrate the images into geography and history lessons.  News organizations have used the service to show the location of news stories, both local and distant.  There are very strong marketing and research capabilities with Street View.  Street View images can be incorporated on a web page by using Google Maps API (code.google.com/apis/maps).
 

Google has a lot of useful features that are also fun to use.  The Google 411 service and Street Views are but two of the many benefits of using Google.  You should experiment also by entering your street address and dragging Pegman over your house or business, and viewing your location.  Try calling 1-800-GOOG-411 and asking for a business, just to become familiar with the service, and also program that number into your cell phone.  Have fun with and enjoy these services from Google.

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CrimeReports.com – The National Crime Map By Ira Wilsker:   WEBSITES: http://www.crimereports.com http://www.crimereports.com/files/CommandCentralBrochure.pdf http://www.crimereports.com/files/CrimeReportsBrochure.pdf http://www.crimereports.com/iphone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNX1YTOeU8U    iPhone demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtvKb4bEN9Y    TV Report http://www.youtube.com/user/CrimeReportsVideos               At present, over 600 law enforcement agencies are participating in an online service, CrimeReports.com.  Claiming to be the largest crime mapping network in North America, CrimeReports.com gives people the information that subscribing cities was displayed.  Scrolling through the list, I found that my home city was not listed, but does display local registered sex offenders.  The closest participating city to my home is Jasper, Texas, so I clicked on the Jasper link on the pull down menu.  I zoomed in centering on the center of town, and the crime map was very easy to read.  I selected the most recent 14 day period, and the incidents were clearly displayed.  On the left margin of the map was a listing of offenses, which I sorted by date.  Alternatively, clicking on one of the displayed icons displayed the type of crime, the date, the address, time, and reporting agency.             There is much more information available then just displaying a crime map.  Clicking on the Analytics tab on the top of the web page opens up a detailed crime analysis graphing utility.  On the top of the display the user first clicks on a state from the pull down menu, and then in the adjacent column clicks on a participating jurisdiction.  As with the maps, specific time periods can be easily selected.  The first graph displays the type and number of crimes as a bar graph. The second chart shows a pie chart showing types of crimes as a percentage of total crime.  The bottom of the web page shows crime trends, color coded by type of crime, and charted by date and number.  With the maps and analytical information, residents and businesses can be better aware of the criminal risks throughout an area.             While all of the information on CrimeReports.com is freely available for anyone to access and use, it also offers several advantages to those law enforcement agencies that subscribe to the service.  The analytics can be used by neighborhood watch and community oriented policing activities to identify problem areas, allocate resources, set goals, and measure progress.  City councils may find the information very useful in terms of ordinances and budgetary planning.  The law enforcement agencies themselves may make use of the service with several non-public analysis tools called Command Central.  This service integrates with any existing CAD or RMS systems, and supports CompStat-style analysis.  While secured, authorized users can access the information online using any web browser.  The integral Roll Call feature can display crime maps and statistics on a precinct or district basis, alerting officers to potential crime patterns.  In researching this column, I found several complementary reviews by law enforcement personnel that explained how the system is used to maintain and disseminate crime reporting information.  A TrendCaster function … ccan be used to evaluate policy changes, beat assignments, and overall crime trends with a heat map that highlights areas where crime is on the rise and decline.             Agencies can also use CrimeReports.com as a public information tool alerting residents of potential situations.  The website offers free email alerts which will deliver contemporary crime maps directly to the subscribers inbox. "Residents can sign up for automated emails that let them know where crime has happened near their home or place of work. All alerts are customizable by location and area. In addition, citizens can choose to receive daily, weekly, or monthly alerts, and they have the freedom to choose which crime types they want to track..  There is also a free iPhone application available for download that offers great functionality. The iPhone app will display crimes by location or address, crime type, and customizable date range; display data on the crime map or in a list view; show national sex offender data alongside crime in your neighborhood; and provide free, automated, email crime alerts.  CrimeReports.com also disseminates information in real-time on social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook.  There is also a free widget which can be installed on the agency website to give residents access to a local crime map without having to leave the agency website.             Crime is something we all must be aware of and deal with. By using the capabilities of CrimeReports.com residents and law enforcement alike may benefit through increased information about local threats and trends. It is a very worthwhile service.