NorthStarNerd.Org

Nerd Food

In a few hours I will head up north to my small cabin near the Canadian border ... no computer ... no TV ... no phone service ... no running water in the Winter. We heat by wood stove!

Given my impending departure, I thought long and hard over what the topic should be for my final posting of 2006 ... Eureka ... Nerd Food! Thus I challenge everyone to enter via the comments section their two favorite nerd food items.  Here is my entry:

• Hostess Twinkies
  (and)
• Diet Coke

These two items combine to give "nerd energy" during all night gaming or coding sessions. Oh, yes ... here is the photo of my cabin. Happy New Year!

Google Co-Op Screencast Tutorial

Over the past few months I've created a number of Google Co-op search engines, ranging from an Engineering Podcast Search Engine to WikiSearch. I thought folks might like to see how easy it is to create your own search engine with Google Co-op ... thus:

• Google Co-Op Search Engine Screencast Tutorial

This tutorial was created with Wink. Although the audio is not quite as clear as I would like, Wink gives  a surprising amount of power for a free web recording tool. You may wish to check out my other screencast tutorials.

Google Co-Op Wiki Search Engine

I just created a new search engine, Wiki Search, which indexes this content:

• Wikipedia - the open source encyclopedia
• Wiktionary - a wiki dictionary
• Wikiversity - opening minds through learning
• Wiki Books - your open source for eBooks
• Wiki How - the Mr. Fixit of wikis!
• Wiki Index - an index of wikis
• Wiki News - today's news as posted/edited by netizens
• Wiki Quote - quotable quotes!
• Wiki Species - a directory of life!
  and
• Wiki Travel - your online travel resource

What's a wiki? Learn from a talking computer ... but definitely not Hal 2000 ! (or from Common Craft ... Wikis explained in layman's terms)

Note: Wiki Search site addition suggestions are welcome; however given the number of wikis on the web (Google it!), my focus is general reference wikis. This search index also includes my blog.

• See my entire list of Google Co-op Search Engines.

CamStudio - A Screencast Tutorial

Quite often in one's travels around the web, you may wish to record or demonstrate something. CamStudio is a simple, free, recording tool. This posting provides a screencast tutorial, access to the software, and some examples:

• CamStudio
  • Web Site
  • Download Software (Source Forge.Net)
    .
• Tutorial (created with Wink)
  .

Finally, some editorial comments ... CamStudio is a great tool, but given it's inability to take individual screen shots (like a digital camera) and then smooth motion paths between between mouse clicks, file size can grow VERY LARGE. You need to get things right the first time around; there is no second chance to edit and improve your content.  

Having said all of that, as a simple, cost effective (i.e. free) screencast recording tool for webcasts and tutorials ... it is does the trick.

How Now Purple Cow! Adobe eLearning

I don't even use this software tool, Adobe Premiere Pro, thus I can't vouch for the quality of the podcast tutorials ... but I LOVE the graphic. Let's hear it for Purple Cows!

• Creative Cow Premier Pro Tutorials Podcast (actually a Cowcast !)