Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

Stocking Stuffers of the High Tech Kind

For the last two weeks I have provided some suggestions for some high tech gift giving. This week I will continue, but will offer all suggestions under $15 making them great stocking stuffers.

Anyone who uses a computer or MP3 player will appreciate having extra storage for all those video, music or picture files. Consider buying a few SD cards or “Flash” drives. These small storage devices can plug into various digital devices and expand the amount of storage capacity. Flash drives require a USB port and as such are used primarily with computers while SD cards can be used with a variety of devices from small mobile phones to large flat screen TVs. SD cards come in several “sizes” from 1 gig to as large as 8 gig or more of capacity. (Figure that an average of 600 pictures or songs will fit on a 1 gig device) For MP3 players and mobile phones, you may need a “micro SD card.” These are about the size of the finger nail on your pinky finger. Locally Staples has a great selection.

Do you have someone that travels a lot with a laptop computer? Here is a neat addition to that road warrior’s armaments. Give them a laptop lamp. This small gooseneck plugs in the USB port of the laptop and casts a soft light on the keyboard. These are great for working in low light situations like planes or conference rooms during Power Point presentations. You can find them on-line and at many local computer stores.

Another cool device for someone who uses an MP3 music player is an FM transmitter that allows the car radio to serve as the speakers. It plugs into the MP3 player and car power port (nee cigarette lighter.) You can find them on line and at Best Buy.

For those who may have given up the desk top computer for a laptop, one of the things you will miss when doing financial stuff is a good numeric pad. How about a USB numeric keypad? It is about the size of a mouse and allows you to enter numbers just like you did with your desktop keyboard. You can find this on line for about $8.

Gift cards are also great. For the younger set a gift card for some iTunes will always be appreciated. You’ll find them where ever gift cards are sold.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Stocking Stuffers of the High Tech Kind

For the last two weeks I have provided some suggestions for some high tech gift giving. This week I will continue, but will offer all suggestions under $15 making them great stocking stuffers.

Anyone who uses a computer or MP3 player will appreciate having extra storage for all those video, music or picture files. Consider buying a few SD cards or “Flash” drives. These small storage devices can plug into various digital devices and expand the amount of storage capacity. Flash drives require a USB port and as such are used primarily with computers while SD cards can be used with a variety of devices from small mobile phones to large flat screen TVs. SD cards come in several “sizes” from 1 gig to as large as 8 gig or more of capacity. (Figure that an average of 600 pictures or songs will fit on a 1 gig device) For MP3 players and mobile phones, you may need a “micro SD card.” These are about the size of the finger nail on your pinky finger. Locally Staples has a great selection.

Do you have someone that travels a lot with a laptop computer? Here is a neat addition to that road warrior’s armaments. Give them a laptop lamp. This small gooseneck plugs in the USB port of the laptop and casts a soft light on the keyboard. These are great for working in low light situations like planes or conference rooms during Power Point presentations. You can find them on-line and at many local computer stores.

Another cool device for someone who uses an MP3 music player is an FM transmitter that allows the car radio to serve as the speakers. It plugs into the MP3 player and car power port (nee cigarette lighter.) You can find them on line and at Best Buy.

For those who may have given up the desk top computer for a laptop, one of the things you will miss when doing financial stuff is a good numeric pad. How about a USB numeric keypad? It is about the size of a mouse and allows you to enter numbers just like you did with your desktop keyboard. You can find this on line for about $8.

Gift cards are also great. For the younger set a gift card for some iTunes will always be appreciated. You’ll find them where ever gift cards are sold.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Holiday Gift Suggestions - Batteries Not Included

With the holiday gift giving season upon us I thought I would use the next few columns to suggest some neat electronic items for that special digitally mesmerized person on your list. With the economy in a slump, you should find very attractive prices for electronics at stores large and small. Do be careful though. For example, Circuit City is on very thin ice and has already closed many stores. I would be very cautious buying any large item that may need to be returned or repaired from that retailer.

This week let’s start with ideas for the camera buff. Cameras, both still and video, are getting smaller and smaller. One of the negative byproducts of the compact size and weight is that the cameras are hard to keep steady. How about giving a mini-tripod? There are several models that can fit in a pocket or purse that will connect to most any camera giving a secure base. Some have telescoping legs. Others have flexible legs like large pipe cleaners that can shape around uneven surfaces. You can find these at many camera stores. I saw two models at Best Buy for about 10 bucks.

Once that perfect picture is taken you want to show it off. You might consider an electronic picture frame. They come is sizes from 3”x 5” to as large as 11”x 17”. Some will play back short videos. Be sure that they have several ways to load pictures. Most have slots for SD cards and Memory Sticks. You want the frame to accept whatever card the camera uses to store the pictures. On sale you will find small frames for as little as $40. Large ones can go for several hundred dollars. You should find them in many discount stores.

Much smaller, but way cool, is the Photo Key Chain. It has a small postage stamp size LCD screen attached to key chain. It can hold a few electronic pictures and display them clearly, albeit in miniature. A real stocking stuffer for about $20 at many discount stores.

If you really want big pictures, many new large screen digital TVs now have a slot to insert camera media so you can display your favorite photos on the TV. So this year instead of watching the Super-Bowl half time show you can regale your guests with pictures of the family’s vacation trip to the Warther Carvings Museum and Button Collection in Dover, Ohio.

Staying with the photographic theme I continue to be a big fan of the “Flip Camera.” This small video camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes continues to be one of the best sellers in the video camera category. The camera weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes many features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom and runs for about four hours on two AA batteries. The internal flash memory holds an hour of video.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good as or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio settings are automatic. It is a great way to capture the holiday celebrations. The ”Flip” sells for $150 wherever video cameras are sold.

More ideas next week.

Holiday Gift Suggestions - Batteries Not Included

With the holiday gift giving season upon us I thought I would use the next few columns to suggest some neat electronic items for that special digitally mesmerized person on your list. With the economy in a slump, you should find very attractive prices for electronics at stores large and small. Do be careful though. For example, Circuit City is on very thin ice and has already closed many stores. I would be very cautious buying any large item that may need to be returned or repaired from that retailer.

This week let’s start with ideas for the camera buff. Cameras, both still and video, are getting smaller and smaller. One of the negative byproducts of the compact size and weight is that the cameras are hard to keep steady. How about giving a mini-tripod? There are several models that can fit in a pocket or purse that will connect to most any camera giving a secure base. Some have telescoping legs. Others have flexible legs like large pipe cleaners that can shape around uneven surfaces. You can find these at many camera stores. I saw two models at Best Buy for about 10 bucks.

Once that perfect picture is taken you want to show it off. You might consider an electronic picture frame. They come is sizes from 3”x 5” to as large as 11”x 17”. Some will play back short videos. Be sure that they have several ways to load pictures. Most have slots for SD cards and Memory Sticks. You want the frame to accept whatever card the camera uses to store the pictures. On sale you will find small frames for as little as $40. Large ones can go for several hundred dollars. You should find them in many discount stores.

Much smaller, but way cool, is the Photo Key Chain. It has a small postage stamp size LCD screen attached to key chain. It can hold a few electronic pictures and display them clearly, albeit in miniature. A real stocking stuffer for about $20 at many discount stores.

If you really want big pictures, many new large screen digital TVs now have a slot to insert camera media so you can display your favorite photos on the TV. So this year instead of watching the Super-Bowl half time show you can regale your guests with pictures of the family’s vacation trip to the Warther Carvings Museum and Button Collection in Dover, Ohio.

Staying with the photographic theme I continue to be a big fan of the “Flip Camera.” This small video camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes continues to be one of the best sellers in the video camera category. The camera weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes many features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom and runs for about four hours on two AA batteries. The internal flash memory holds an hour of video.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good as or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio settings are automatic. It is a great way to capture the holiday celebrations. The ”Flip” sells for $150 wherever video cameras are sold.

More ideas next week.