Looking and sounding good in your Web conference

From previous connections we have found that it is best for Web conference users to use the following advice;

* WEB CAMERA – LOOK GOOD
Use a separate web camera; the one built into laptops is usual at a set position relative to the screen and when the screen is adjusted unflattering imagery generally results. An independent camera allows you to set the view and angle that you wish to transmit – you would be surprised how many laptop callers send a magnified view looking up their nostrils. (A good Logitech HD USB Webcam will cost between AU$60 and AU$150 depending on your requirements).

* AUDIO – REMOVE ECHO
Separate your incoming and outgoing audio streams – you will be talking to a room and we need to reduce echo. The easiest method for this is to use a noise cancelling microphone (we tend to use the Logitech USB models when using desktop based conferencing. The Logitech desktop microphone is available in the AU$25-$42 price range depending on the vendor. These microphones are plug and play removing complicated setup procedures).

You can use a headset to managing the incoming & outgoing audio streams, many people prefer not to use a headset as it restricts their movement, and messes up hairstyles. A USB headset is recommended as these types have less interference from humming power supplies than the old 3.5mm jack versions. (A Logitech USB headset will set you back somewhere from AU$60 to AU$200; see if you can test the headset for comfort before purchasing)

* MAKE A TEST CALL
Always make a test call to make sure that everything is working. For example if you are calling via SKype, use the Skype audio test service before the call to ensure that your audio is clear and clean. The audio carries 80% of your message; bad video can be worked with, bad audio is a show stopper.

* YOUR ENVIRONMENT
The environment from which you place you call can make a difference – do you want to look professional, casual or unprepared?

* use a blank wall or neutral background for your Web conference session. A complicated background detracts from your presentation.

* check your lighting conditions, do not use strong back lighting (eg. sitting in front of a window so the window is you background), do not use strong direct lighting (eg. facing into the sun). Softer reflected light coming from the front and side gives the best results.

* soft furnishings reduce sharp echos. Sitting near curtains will give you a ‘warmer’ voice than sitting near a glass or metal wall.

Not so rattle, but lots of hum

ISSUE:
Using a MacBook Pro connected into an AV system with sound reinforcement and video projector we have a loud background hum introduced into the audio reproduction. The trick? This only happens if the external monitor connection is plugged in. The only thing that stops the hum is removing the external display connection.

This is not the usual laptop issue of noisy laptop power supply as the hum exists with the laptop running from battery, even using a firewire sound card (FCA202) to eliminate audio grounding issues, we still have the same issues.

Oh great, just what we need …

A quick Google of macbook pro audio hum external display

The external audio hum is apparently a known issue when connecting a Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air to an external TV monitor using the DVI port…

This would appear to be a pretty systematic problem with the segregation between the audio and video system in the MacBook Pro. Two solutions appear to be popularly in discussions;

Solution 1: Audio Ground Loop Isolation
Using a Ground Loop Isolator in the audio connection (eg. Jaycar: Car Stereo Line Isolation Transformer $12.75). [Update: 22-AUG-2012 AA3085 has been replaced with AA3084 $9.95]

_*If you’ve isolated the issue to a hum when you connect your DVI port, the only viable and successful workaround is to buy a ground loop isolator for your audio cabling.*_
– Audio hum w/external display? [discussions.apple.com]

It turned out that you need to get an “Ground loop isolator” which is a box that quote “works by breaking the earth between your computer or audio components and stereo so there’s no path for current from an electrical imbalance to flow”.
– audio noise when using DVI out [discussions.apple.com]

The line filter can be installed at the wall plate and left with the AV drop cable as a part of the rooms AV infrastructure. As the installed infrastructure uses 3.5mm jacks the line filter will need RCA to 3.5mmm adapters.

Solution 2: Digital Audio Out
The MacBook Pro allows for Digital Audio Out and In via the following ports;

Audio line in/optical digital audio in port
Connect your MacBook Pro (15-inch Core 2 Duo) to a line-level microphone or optical digital audio equipment. The Audio In port accommodates both optical digital audio input and analog audio input.

Headphone/optical digital audio out port Connect external speakers, headphones, or optical digital audio equipment. The headphone / line output jack accommodates optical digital audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS). For analog headphone / line output a standard audio cable with 3.5mm metal plug should be used. For digital audio, a standard Toslink cable with a Toslink mini-plug adapter can be used.

So using a Toslink to Mini Toslink(3.5mm) Cable^# and a Digital to Analogue audio converter (eg. Jaycar: Digitech Digital to Analogue Audio Converter AC-1603 $69.95) we can attach out digital audio into the sound system. You also require a RCA to 3.5mm converter to finish the rig.
(^# For our test rig I used a standard 05.m Toslink cable WQ7261 $16.95 and adapted one end using a Mini Toslink adapter PA3574 $5.95.)

The digital to analog system requires power, and needs to be located at the laptop end of the system. This system is perhaps more suited to a traveling user who requires a very clean signal.

This solution does NOT clear the majority of the hum from the audio signal.

Which Solution?
Given the price difference and the suitable result from using the line filter, I would recommend the line filter for most situations.

NOTE: Originally written 2011/07/27. Published 2012/08/16

Agatha Christie Week 2010

This week, coinciding with the birthday of Agatha Christie, is the sixth annual Agatha Christie Week.

This year is;

• the 120th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth
• Hercule Poirot’s 90th anniversary, having been introduced to us in Agatha Christie’s very first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920
• Miss Jane Marple’s 80th anniversary, having been introduced to us in the novel The Murder at the Vicarage in 1930

During this week the English Riviera holds its annual Agatha Christie Festival the biggest event of its kind in the world.

What’s that? Can’t make it to the English Riviera?

Old Time Radio

We start off with a good size collection of Agatha Christie radio plays over at Entering The Mind’s Eye (don’t forget to check pages 2 and 3). Some more via Tennessee Bill’s OTR seasoned with some Hercule Poirot at archive.org and some more via otrarchive

And finally Radio Detectives 99-06-01 (0003) The Wisdom of Miss Marple (via otrarchive).

Audiobooks

If old time radio is not your style, Audible is also celebrating Agatha Christie week.

To celebrate the birthday of “The Queen of Crime”, we’ve hand-picked 10 of her classic stories featuring the egocentric detective Hercule Poirot and the elderly amateur sleuth Miss Marple. Revered as a master of plotting, characterization, and suspense, Christie still holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling writer of books of all time. Turn off the lights, blow out the candles, and enjoy the mystery!
– Audible

What podcasts are you listening to this week?

So what podcasts are you listening to? Here are a few that I have picked up this week.

China/Olympics

• Explore – China iTunes : www
• Landscapes of China iTunes : www
• Olympic Insider – OLYMPICS iTunes : www

Education

• SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast (Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger) iTunes : www
• Podkids Australia iTunes : www
• KidCast – Podcasting in the classroom iTunes : www

Language

• ChinesePod (Free Lesson Feed) iTunes : www
• Learning Indonesian iTunes : www

After a story?
And some stories for the kids;

• Vampirates – By Justin Somper iTunes : www
• Wolf Brother Podcast iTunes : www

Old Time Radio Mysteries
Love that OTR;

• Old Time Radio Adventures iTunes : www
• Old Time Radio Mysteries iTunes : www
• Old Time Radio Detectives iTunes : www

Doctor Who: The Commentaries (Podcast)

Get your hands on the commentary for the new Dr Who series episodes.

Doctor Who: The Commentaries
BBC 7
The cast and crew of Doctor Who take you behind the scenes with fascinating facts and irreverent observations on every episode of Series Four. Find out more at www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.

Doctor Who: The Commentaries
New To BBC7
Brand new and exclusive to BBC7 is this guide to the latest long awaited television series of Doctor Who, currently showing on Saturdays on BBC1 . Some of the cast – including Catherine Tate and David Tennant (pictured) – discuss tonight’s first thrilling episode. There are some fascinating insights into the characters and the action, so it’s well worth a listen.
– BBC 7 Newsletter – Friday 4th April

Point your favourite Podcast tool at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/doctorwho/

DAFT PUNK – “Technologic”

DAFT PUNK – “Technologic”

…
Surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, twitch – update it,
Name it, rate it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax – rename it,
Touch it, bring it, obey it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, stop – format it.

Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, melt – upgrade it,
Charge it, pawn it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick – erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick – rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag and drop it, zip – unzip it,
Surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, twitch – update it,
Name it, rate it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax – rename it,
Touch it, bring it, obey it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, stop – format it.
…

How true it is

[1] DAFT PUNK LYRICS – Technologic [www.azlyrics.com]

YackPack

Need a chat client without having to install software? Have a look at YackPack.

Welcome to the WalkieTalkie Web Channel… [YackPack]

* Live voice chat from any web page
* Easy, 1-click operation
* No software, nothing to install
* No registration, no hassle!

I ‘m using http://www.yackpack.com/walkietalkie/?VisibleProcrastination

(Thanks to the Geocaching Australia forum’s Friday Night Yak for pointing out this useful tool.)

Make Poverty History – Friday, November 17

Watch the action from the Music Bowl

Get Informed, Be Inspired, Take Action! Make Poverty History

The Make Poverty History concert will be streamed here from about 7.30pm in ten parts. Press “refresh” on your browser to check for updates. The concert is offered in high and low quality streams, which will open in your default media player once you click.

Click here to tune into the exclusive webcast

Register at www.makepovertyhistory.com.au

Some AUDIO goodies for Halloween …

Halloween :: the ancient festival of Samhain
Halloween, the light-hearted modern festivity of ghosts and ghoulies, frights and feast, trick or treat, has much more serious (and scary!) origins in the ancient Celtic Feast of the Dead. This festival has survived, due to its connection with the archetypal energies that it evokes and due to its more recent connection with the Christian festival of All Souls, which the Church has instituted as a substitute for this pagan celebration. (from Astrology on the Web)

As Halloween approaches we find ourselves in need of a soundtrack. Now I know that Barry Manilow records scare the hell out of most people, but lets face it folks there are limits to what is socially acceptable. What does your modern ghoul, vampire or zombie listen to at Halloween?

The mythic, haunting history of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion will finally be told by voice talent Kat Cressida, the artist whose performance as the gothic “Black Widow Bride” was added in early 2006 to the Disneyland version of the Haunted Mansion attraction as part of park-wide enhancements made to the attractions during Disneyland’s 50th anniversary festivities. [...]
(File available beginning October 31, 2006)
Nuptial Doom

And we cannot forget the gifts off the ZombieAstronaut;

Last week was vampire-laden, a couple of weeks ago had some werewolf in it, so this week’s Halloween post is Frankenstein-themed – look for whatever novelty tunes I could find, as well as the 30s radio dramatization, the BBC version, a trailer and – a hoax? Curiouser and curiouser…
z0mbieastronaut

then we have a soundtrack to scream along with

Halloween is meant to be scary, right? Year after year we dust off the old silly 1950s and 1960s novelty records. While they are fun, they not at all frightening. Oddio Overplay put the challenge to musical artists the world over to create Halloween music that is “frightening, damaging and disturbing.” No “Monster Mash,” instead creepy soundtracks to a fiendish Halloween. They succeeded with CALLING ALL FIENDS! Some of these pieces will creep you right out of your skin.
Calling All Fiends - Halloween at Oddio Overplay

Feeling creepy yet?

Next on the menu is some Old Time Radio (OTR) Arch Oboler’s Plays or maybe some Beyond Midnight. Also check out some Black Chapel, Black Museum, Boris Karloff, or some Frankenstein all courtesy of RadiolLovers.com

Songbird v0.1.0

A rival for iTunes that is OpenSource … we welcome Songbird. (lots of Blogosphere noise about this one today)

Songbird v0.1.0

I will install it tonight and have a play to see if it is a good OTR tool

 

Songbird v0.1.0

Based on the FireFox backend it is not surpisising to see a slick interface. As this is an Alpha release but not a competitior for WinAmp at this stage. Certainly a project to keep an eye on.

 

Songbird v0.1.0

[1.] http://www.songbirdnest.com/

 

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