Mashed Articles

How exciting! After a full year of waiting and wanting, I have now paired my bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone. Finally I can use my iPhone as a proper input device. With the Dropbox app integrated with my docs2go app, I’m connected with all my important documents and can edit from anywhere with a data connection. I’m so happy it’s silly!

What took you so long, Apple? Seriously.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I picked this video up from Cathy Moore’s twitter stream (@catmoore).

I love it for several different reasons. First, it’s just really really interesting content – Dan Pink’s lecture on Drive – the surprising truth about what motivates us is compelling in itself.

Second, the RSA animation is simply amazing. I was glued to the whole 10 minute animation – laughing, excited, really interested to see what would happen next. My husband came in halfway through and sat down and watched the rest with me. It’s great.

Finally, I love the fact the audio is a humorous lecture recorded with a live audience. The audience respond to Dan Pink’s words, you can hear laughter – you feel like you’re part of a community. This audio works in the way that canned laughter works. Canned laughter was invented by sound engineer Charley Douglass. And it’s been used ever since because it works. There’s a great history of canned laughter on wikipedia – think you should check it out.

Sadly, I’m pretty sure I’ll not be commanding budgets either for recording lectures with a live audience, or for ‘sweetening’ my audio with laugh tracks. If you’re lucky enough to give this a shot, let me know!

I recently came across a nice showcase of e-learning shorts from award-winning Irish animation company Igloo Animations. Igloo aren’t just about – e-learning – they’ve a wide range of animation experience, including advertising and television.

I like their ‘Sustainability’ short, which freely available on youtube.

You can also check out a short about Ireland’s NAMA – the National Assets Management Agency.