myFreepath

Freepath 3.0!

2010-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the release of Freepath 3.0! We will be launching Freepath 3.0 on October 13, 2010. After this date, the next time you launch Freepath with an internet connection, you will see a message in the upper right hand corner informing you that the update is ready to install. Once you see this message, exit Freepath and launch it again, the update will be automatically installed.

Freepath 3.0 includes the following improvements and new features:

Speaker Notes: add notes to your cues
Video check: improved video playback in dual screen mode
Wait cursor: a wait cursor now appears when loading media in a cue
New Look: an updated user interface

Speaker Notes: A new feature to help you keep your message on track! To open speaker notes, select “speaker notes” from the SHOW dropdown menu when in the prep screen.

Do you have notes in your PowerPoint decks? To import speaker notes that were added in PowerPoint, open the PowerPoint deck and double click a slide in the slide chooser. Select the arrow button on the speaker notes toolbar to load the notes for that slide deck. Each time you launch slides in this slide deck going forward, the notes will appear in the speaker notes area at the bottom of the cue grid.

To add speaker notes to all other media and files, double click a cue. Next, select the pencil icon on the speaker notes toolbar above the speaker notes area at the bottom of the cue grid. Enter your speaker notes, then select the “save” icon once you are done. You can go back at any time to add or delete by simply selecting the pencil icon. Just remember to select the “save” button once you are done!

To increase or decrease the font size of your text move the slider located in the upper right hand corner of the pane to the left or right. To “tear off” or unanchor the notes box from the bottom of the cue grid click on the button in the upper left hand corner of the pane. The speaker notes now are floating and can be moved. To anchor it back, select the button in the upper left hand corner of the pane once again.

Video check: Experiencing “jerky” video when in dual screen mode? Freepath now has new mechanisms that detect possible video playback issues and automatically suppresses the “preview” screen when in dual screen mode for improved video performance on your second display.

Wait cursor: A wait cursor now appears when launching your media in a cue to let you know that the file is loading. For a smoother presentation, wait for your media to load prior to moving on to your next cue.

New Look: Freepath 3.0 has a new and exciting user interface. We hope you like the new look!

We have also made a change to a couple of existing features.

One Click to Unlock:

We have changed the default setting for one click to unlock when in full or dual screen mode. When you launch Freepath, this feature is now turned off. To unlock the screen, move your mouse cursor down to the bottom of the screen when in full or dual screen mode to make the toolbar appear at the bottom of your screen. On the toolbar, click the lock to unlock a document or website. When you are done interacting with your “live” document or web page, click the lock on the toolbar to proceed with your presentation. We hope changing this feature will be more obvious to users when they have unlocked the screen.
To turn the “one click to unlock” feature on, select the “Show” dropdown menu in the Freepath prep screen and check “Click to unlock”. This will also make the Freepath logo in the lower right hand corner disappear when in full or dual screen mode.

Blank the Screen:

We have had a number of requests to change the screen from a gray gradient to a solid black when the “Blank the screen” button is selected. This change has been made in the current release.

Prefer the gray gradient? Right click the image below and save it to your computer. When in the Freepath prep screen, select the down arrow for the "blank the screen" feature and choose "Select Image". Drill down to where you saved the gray gradient and select it or choose another image...the choice is yours!

Coming soon!

Freepath Viewer:

Lastly, we are excited to inform you that we will be releasing a Freepath viewer in the next couple of months. Do you have playlist that you would like to show to a person who does not have Freepath installed? They will be able to download the Freepath Viewer for free to view your playlist. The viewer is unable to create, edit or view more than one playlist at a time.

Freepath Live

Would you like to see a more in depth overview of any of the new features? Join Freepath Live, a "FREE" webinar that is scheduled weekly at 9:00AM Pacific time. At the designated time, click the link on the Freepath Live page and join us

Tutorial Videos and Webinars

2010-05-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Just getting started with Freepath? Want to see a feature overview? We have posted 8 tutorial videos to help you get the most out of Freepath. Check them out!

Would you or your team like to see an online demo? Have questions about features? If so, let us know! We can schedule a webinar with you and your team to go over Freepath features, answer questions or give you ideas for a presentation! Please send requests to info@freepath.com

We also have a weekly webinar every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time called Freepath Live. Would you like to learn how to get even more out of Freepath? Join us with your questions. Visit the Freepath Live page Wednesdays at 9am Pacific Time and follow the link to join the webinar. The link to the webinar will appear 10 minutes prior to start time.

Freepath on Windows 7

2009-11-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

We have completed Freepath testing on Windows 7 and it went well. We did encounter an issue displaying MPEG-2 files in Freepath. This issue is being investigated and a fix will be available in the future.

If you encounter issues with Freepath after either installing or upgrading to Windows 7, it is a good idea to make sure your drivers are updated. The Microsoft site has a Windows 7 Help and How-to page to help you diagnose issues you may have encountered after installing or upgrading to Windows 7. Visit the Microsoft Update drivers page for recommended driver updates for Windows 7.

Freepath is recognized as a New California 100 Business Innovator by Golden Capital Network & Hamilton Lane

2009-09-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

New California 100 businesses are some of the most innovative companies in the state representing California’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce competitiveness. They are market leading technology companies who have been selected based on the uniqueness of their innovation, competitive advantages, and job and economic impact on California’s economy now and into the future. Freepath is honored to be recognized as a New California 100 Business Innovator.

We are excited to announce Multi-user packs!

Seems that many Freepath users work in the same company or live in the same house...so, it makes sense to have a single account option that offers access across multiple users and machines. We are excited to announce the availability of multi-user packs. Our multi-user packs are now available as an annual license and include volume discounts. To learn more about our exciting new product offerings, please follow this link to sign in or create a free account.

Learn even more!

Want to hear about what people are saying about Freepath? Want to check out some feature overviews? Great! Check us out on YouTube.

Freepath makes Frost and Sullivan's 2009 Hot Company watch list...

2009-09-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy summer at the Freepath offices! We made a prestigious watch list, made it easier for multiple users to access Freepath, created a public playlist to help you get up to speed and kicked off a weekly webinar that you can attend to learn how to get the most out of Freepath. Stay tuned to learn more!

Best in show!

We are proud to announce that Freepath was added by Frost and Sullivan to its Hot Company watch list in the 2009 report of the World Presentation Assembly and Management Platforms Market. Frost and Sullivan showcases Freepath 2.0 as a match with its key features of a winning presentation solution.

If you are a Freepath user, you are most likely well aware of some of the key features that Frost and Sullivan highlight in their report. The ability to play assets in their native format is very powerful. Why reinvent the wheel? You have the content in its various forms—PowerPoint slides, web sites, PDFs, word documents—drag, drop, present!

Another strength of Freepath is the flexibility it gives to the presenter. It allows you to access content nonlinearly. During your presentation, you may want to revisit a slide or a piece of your content. Freepath’s user interface makes it simple to access what you want when you want it.

Another key feature is the ability to edit in real-time while in presentation mode. Perhaps you are displaying a spreadsheet or a document—use the “One click to Unlock” feature to interact live with your content. Simply click once anywhere on the Audience screen to unlock. Edit a document, traverse a website, pick the content and do what you will from within the audience screen.

Learn more!

To learn more about some of Freepath’s powerful features, visit http://freebits.weebly.com to view a series of overviews in the form of screencasts. Also, check out the "Getting Started" playlist on myFreepath. This playlist includes a series of screencasts to help you get up to speed with Freepath. Going forward, all new Freepath downloads will include this playlist. We have posted it on myFreepath so that existing users will be able to benefit from these short tips and tricks.

FREEPATH RELEASES PLAYLIST APPLICATION FOR RICH MEDIA PRESENTATIONS AND COLLABORATION

2009-03-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Freepath 2.0 Now Available for the Public

Folsom, CA, March 24, 2009 – Freepath, Inc. (www.freepath.com), providers of technology to enable live digital content sharing, launched the commercial release of Freepath 2.0 and its companion myFreepath content sharing community. Last August, the Freepath 2.0 beta version attracted thousands of users ranging from speakers to sales professionals to teachers.

Freepath enhances how people deliver live presentations using their digital assets. A variety of files and websites can be easily organized into a ‘playlist’ for non-linear access on demand. Freepath lets users show anything from the web seamlessly with their favorite content on their PC resulting in dynamic presentations of PowerPoint slides, videos, images, music and documents such as PDFs, Word and Excel.

Freepath’s ease-of-use and portability is a significant breakthrough to previous communication boundaries. Freepath integrates a companion community called ‘myFreepath’ where users have online storage to seamlessly share playlists with private groups or public audiences worldwide. In this manner, Freepath acts as a knowledge transfer platform for businesses, government agencies, schools and universities, churches, social networks and beyond.

“We are improving the way everyday users show and share their digital stuff,” said John Stone, Freepath’s CEO. “Freepath makes it easy for people to put their content to use in productive and creative ways. This means people will significantly reduce the time and cost for delivering engaging and effective presentations.”

Freepath 2.0 is being released with several new features for playing diverse types of media:

• PowerPoint Chooser –PowerPoint files open with presenter controls for non-linear access to any slide.
• Video Prep – Freepath makes it simple to only play the portion you want without having to edit the original video file.
• Autoplay – playlists can loop content in a preset order making it ideal for storefront displays, kiosks or before and after a presentation or web meeting.
• Online Collaboration – Freepath is compatible with leading web conferencing tools such as Webex, GoToMeeting, Live Meeting and Intercall.
• Viral Sharing and Exchange – myFreepath is an online network where playlists can be uploaded and downloaded for private and public access.

Availability and System Requirements: Freepath 2.0 is downloadable now at www.freepath.com for all PC users running either Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft Windows XP.

Freepath 2.0 has a list price of $249 per license but is currently offering an introductory promotion of $99 plus a free first-year subscription for myFreepath (normally a $79 value).

About Freepath: Founded in 2007, Freepath is a company focused on rich media communication and collaboration for the business, education, and consumer markets. The Freepath team has many years of media, technology and consumer products experience with companies such as Google, Microsoft and HP and is led by a former Apple executive. Freepath is based in Folsom, California and is funded by Velocity Venture Capital and angel investors from Strategis Early Ventures, the Sacramento Angels and the Sierra Angels.

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“Freepath” is the property of Freepath, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Post details: Don't Present Another Slide Until You Read This

2008-12-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

Don't Present Another Slide Until You Read This

Sometimes you come across a work that expresses your thoughts so well you wish you had written them yourself. This Chris Brogan post from more than two years ago was just brought to my attention by a determined Google Alert. I read the article and thought it most appropriate to every Freepath user. May this be the inspiration for a 2009 resolution to make your digital storytelling the best ever.

Oh, one more thing… After reading this post, you may be wondering what to do next. If there’s still room on your Christmas budget, buy yourself a present. Nancy Duarte’s new book, “Slide:ology” is the best resource of 2008, in my opinion. (That link takes you to Nancy’s blog - a must RSS or bookmark. Buy the book through the Amazon link there.) Every page is an effort to move slide-jockeys out of their safe (read: “boring") zone of flat thinking.

May 16th, 2006 in Lifehack
My Best Presentation Tricks
Giving presentations can be a complete and utter thrill. Too bad attending them can be a complete and utter bore. If you are on the giving side, I want to offer you up a collection of my best presentation tricks to date. I’ve written on presentation and the storyteller’s promise before at my site. I’ve written what has oddly become my top-rated post of all time, Bring out your inner David Lee Roth. This will draw from these concepts and more.

Stories and Characters

With few exceptions, a presentation is an opportunity for you to tell a story to an audience. You have the conch shell. You are the wielder of the fire stick. And your audience enters into a relationship with you from the moment they choose to sit in your presence. (Here’s a hack- what if you gave a presentation and provided no chairs? What would a standing audience look and feel like?) As such, your audience is expecting a story.

A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You’ve heard this before, and you understand, but apply it to your presentation. And no, I don’t mean, “Here’s what we’ll talk about, talk-talk, that’s what we talked about.” Stories also have characters. So, start your story at the beginning with a character. If you’re describing a product, start with the user of the product. Or start with the person who moves your product from one business to the other. But put PEOPLE in your story.

At the beginning, your character should have a problem. Maybe she has too many spreadsheets and not enough linking, and people are starting to give her information in ways that her spreadsheets are overflowing their banks. In the middle, your character meets the new product, a database, and now she’s really excited because the database can do EVERYTHING the spreadsheets were lacking. By the end of the story, your character is poised on all the great new ways the database will save her in the future, and she’s looking forward to applying her new skills to a new challenge.

Ads are presentations. Watch TV for a few minutes and see the stories; think about them in terms of a story with a character, a structure, etc. Do you see it?

Touch Their Eyes

Presentations are not opportunities for people to read in a group setting. Your slides, if you choose to use them, should not be textual orgies. Use visual shorthand. Are you talking about budget numbers? How about a big picture of a cash register, with the numbers showing up as the register tape? If you can turn your information into a visual summation, even if you read actual statistics and numbers out over the presentation of the slide, that’s useful.

Remember that a slide deck doesn’t have to equal the handout provided after the presentation. You can send people off with a document containing all the textual support of your presentation. But truly, do you think people want to sit around the room and read complex graphs of numbers, huge text dumps regarding a new product, or anything else that requires an intense amount of leaning in and squinting? (Yes, exceptions to this concept exist in abundance, but please consider whether your presentation is the exception, or more likely, is a target for more imagery and fewer words).

There are all kinds of great sources for interesting graphics and images to add to your slide deck. Heck, even Flickr offers lots of material that’s licensed for use under Creative Commons. (I use them frequently)

A Presentation Doesn’t Equal a PowerPoint Side Deck

I was once in an argument with someone over the fact that I didn’t have slide deck materials to give her. She said I couldn’t present without slides. I said that slides were merely one tool. In the end, she wouldn’t relent, so I sent her a slide deck with 24 slides of all black background with orange title headers. I knew she would be printing (call me spiteful), and yes, when I got there to present, she’d dutifully depleted the earth of several ink catridges to be faithful to her documentation bent.

You can present without a slide deck. It’s scary, because you are the focus of the audience. They are all staring at you, and every point you make, either causes eyeballs to refocus on you, or every time you lose them, it causes eyeballs to drift away and examine the walls, the ceiling, their BlackBerrys. It becomes much more of a “live without a net” feeling to have a presentation without a slide deck to serve as backup.

Which is why it’s really powerful.

If you can pull off this kind of presentation, it’s often very memorable. People will hold on to the words you used to paint stories in their heads. It will keep their visual memory working, which is why great radio programs can often engage more of our senses than you’d expect. Try it once in a while. You might find it truly terrifying, but you might also see a reward.

You are an Entertainer

Presenting, even to your coworkers and colleagues, is an entertainment experience. If not, why are you standing there with a room full of people looking at you? You could just send an email, mail out a brochure. The presumption is that there’s something inherent in your presence that people can’t get from just browsing the brochure. Most people incorrectly assume that they ship a human along with the presentation merely for the Q&A session that follows.

Wrong.

This is your opportunity to breathe life into material that might not stand so well on its own. It’s a chance to give a face and a voice to something that might not be easily humanized. (What if you’re selling waste treatment engineering supplies? I’m doubting people can see the “story” in that easily). It’s a chance to connect with an audience and give them something that they’re never going to receive directly from the product or service or material you’re presenting about. Why present about your last quarter’s numbers? Because either you’re presenting the proud face of a group’s accomplishment, or you’re giving the story and the news behind why you didn’t measure up.

Entertainers are strong on giving their stories life, but they are also strong on reading the room. An entertainer will know whether the people in the audience are being bored by something you’re presenting, and perhaps they’ll mix it up a bit. This requires work. Again, if all you had to do was send an audio voiceover with the slides, you would. Entertainers, er, presenters, are there to make sure the audience is playing along at the same pace, and that everyone is connecting with the material. It goes back to the relationship I mentioned in the storytelling section.

Why Not You?

If you think your presentations can’t benefit from the above, why not? What line of work are you in that humans don’t want to be engaged? What serious business do you conduct that can’t be brought to riveting and rapt attention by giving your information a flair? Do you doubt for a moment that even the most grave information you see on the news isn’t built into a presentation? Even there, the aspect of storytelling and connection to the audience through a human character is the point that brings back great feedback and connection.

Humans want to connect. They are built to want to belong. A great presentation is a fire to gather around and share an experience. Use every opportunity you have to present to tell a story, and I guarantee that you will be sought out to present material of more and more importance. As a presenter, you have the opportunity to give a rockstar performance that gives people something to think about. Why not? Are you saving your performance for some other venue?

–Chris Brogan writes about self-improvement and creativity at [chrisbrogan.com]. He recently launched the Grasshopper Factory.

You Might be Surprised to Find That "Free" Means "Innovative"

2008-12-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Free is as free does, so we’re eating our own ice cream these days. Others eat their own dog food, we prefer the sweet confection of really great software tools. Two of our favorites are Jing and Weebly. Both of them are free.

You can get a lot done wiith a high-speed internet connection and a PC, In these belt-tightening days, perhaps a little “Free Advice” could be a welcome thing. As we look for ways to get the word out on Freepath (both the free download, and the 100mb of storage linked directly to the application), we are determined to make the most of this world of user-generated tools and content to do it. Weebly is a place where anybody can create their own website. Jing is a super easy tool for capturing images and “audio/video” (swf) of your desktop. Like myFreepath, Jing has free online storage for your captures.

We have created a microsite over there at weebly, (www.freebits.weebly.com) for dynamic display of new tools, Freepath tutorials and experimental interaction with our users. Go there to see some VERY short, easy-to-follow Jing tutorials from Dave Giusti, our Community Manager.

In the future, partly to prove a point, but more so because it’s a good idea and great business, we’ll be increasing our reach into other free web applications and client applications that help to create a better impression of your ideas and digital stories. In fact, because both of these (Jing and Weebly) host content, they both become content for Freepath playlists.

Jing even stores images and swf files locally on your hard drive if you like, so you can use them without an internet connection. (Hard to imagine Slide.com and others doing that. Oh, and…their stuff all plays in Freepath with an internet connection too.) We like what Chris Thomas, Chief Strategist at Intel says about client content and applications. Chris, who works with Intel’s World Ahead program sees lots of places that don’t have internet. These “extreme conditions” as he refers to them are where many web applications fall short. Freepath, on the other hand, thrives in an extreme setting.

In October, we supported Intel and the US Federal Government’s US-AID in teaching new technologies to ICT professionals from developing nations. Freepath was one of three companies invited to present.

As a result, in something like 15 developing countries, the idea of sharing content created by users with limited internet access is becoming standard. By comparison, we’ve seen US businesses and schools look at free solutions as though they had leprosy. Recently someone said, “If you charged a thousand bucks for Freepath, I might be able to convince my boss to use it…” Talk about tempting! I hope we will someday hear stories about a clever Mongolian presenter who changed her culture by incorporating visuals captured from the web with video shot in the field by a farmer and PowerPoint slides from a template created and shared by a Freepath user in Mississippi!

Don’t worry, we haven’t decided to charge a thousand bucks a seat. What you should worry about instead is whether or not you’re open to doing what it takes to make your point. Whether it’s your boss cutting your staff and budget, or telling you to be brilliant overnight, sometimes it takes extreme conditions to “force” us to do what is easy, quick, cost effective and smart.

Freepath Focus on Users - Sue Hellman and Debra Swain

2008-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is the first is a series of posts focusing on how people are using Freepath in education, business and their personal life. If you are a Freepath user and want to be featured or know someone doing something interesting with Freepath, send a note to Dave Giusti, Freepath’s Community Manager at dave dot giusti at freepath dot com.

Sue Hellman and Debra Swain are teachers in a small alternative secondary school in White Rock, BC, close to Vancouver, Canada. They have collaborated many times throughout their careers in the classroom and are united in their desire to integrate blended learning into the classroom to keep students engaged and excited about new ideas.

Sue and Debra are presenting a session entitled “Small Changes; Big Returns: Integrating Web-based Tools and Resources,” at the Innovative Learning Conference in San Jose California, on Wednesday, October 15.

Join Sue and Deb’s group “bigreturns” on myFreepath and check it out.

What is the core of your perception of the integration of new tools into the classroom?

Students learn more from teachers they know care enough to forge a connection. We need to be willing to make ourselves vulnerable by taking some steps into their technological world and then guide them confidently into our world from a place at their side.

What really interests us is that there are a lot of smart young people out there developing easy-to-use tools to make tech-challenged people like us look good. These tools enable our kids to produce work they can be proud of and that they can share with the world. Such tools eliminate a lot of the struggle they used to endure to get the job done. They can concentrate on the message rather than on the construction.

How do you balance the use of “leading edge” tools with the normal time requirements as teachers?

Simply put, the flexible structure of the learning environment in our alternate school allows Debra and me to have the luxury of being able to make the time needed to learn and implement “leading edge” tools. The self-paced instruction gives us the time to breathe, to think, to collaborate, and to learn new and interesting technology in a non-frantic, non-stressful manner, and to launch center-wide projects like PowerPoint for Peace and our Earthcast’08 presentation,

Your presentation at the upcoming Innovative Learning Conference is entitled Small Changes; Big Returns: integrating Web-based Tools and Resources. Can you give us a high level overview of what the focus of this session will entail?

The two of us collectively have been teaching for more than 50 years, and although we know that education should be a dynamic process, it is very easy for seasoned teachers to become complacent about the design and delivery of new educational material. With our students’ lack of self-direction and our own need for professional renewal converging, Debra and I decided to start making some “small changes” in our classroom delivery – i.e. incorporate a PowerPoint activity, try an essay template set up like a fill-able form, add links to video files and animations, and use the Google research engine to find information in all content areas.

Then, with the discovery of Freepath it all came together. It became the delivery tool that would enable us to incorporate these changes into a well designed lesson plans and package the new lessons for the students. Freepath is meets the criteria for our ‘tools of choice’ because it’s so easy to use and the company support is so good. With simple drag and drop moves, lessons can be created that allow students to work independently in a medium they are used to while at the same time allowing Debra and me to help those students who require direct instruction. The students benefit because they are involved more effectively in their own learning process, and Debra and I benefit because our passion has once again ignited.

On your blog, you discuss the idea of blended learning; what does this teaching model look like?

At its simplest, blended learning is a custom approach that mixes a variety of content delivery and student response options to get the best fit for the student or for the class. We are working towards a new learning model as we develop new materials that incorporate more web-based tools and resources.

How do you see social media impacting students in the 21st century? How does it impact teachers and where do you see the intersection?

Marshall McLuhan created the slogan “Reach out and touch someone” for the Bell system in 1979. I think he’d be delighted by the way technology has so shaped our lives in the nearly 30 years since his death. Clearly many students are wrapped up in a web of connections – whether it’s as simple as passing notes by texting each other or participating in Facebook or Second Life.

I can find a bit of software, get into trouble trying to make it work, e-mail out a request for help and then get back a response – I find that totally amazing. I am so used to waiting for hours on the phone or weeks for a service person to come to the house or even in line at the bank or at the market – this online world of people who want to connect, to help, to dialogue, and to learn form each other is a delight.

How does Freepath fit into your classroom?

Freepath is capable of helping us address a number of challenges, such as: how to easily combine different kinds of resources in one lesson; how to provide instruction that provides for different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and varying abilities; how to work around the limited bandwidth in our school; and how to maximize student on-task time in our individualized setting.

A unit built in Freepath can truly get us away from traditional learning center content packages – duotangs with fading photocopied text material and lists of questions or written assignments. Once we have loaded a playlist with the relevant text pages, idea diagrams, Powerpoints, pod- or vid-casts, other multimedia materials, and response form templates, we can let the students loose.

To view more of what Sue and Debra are up to check out the Small changes; Big Returns blog and their workshop lens in Squidoo.

Follow this link to find out more about the Innovative Learning Conference and join Sue and Debra to learn how to make small changes and get big returns!

An Interview with Dave Giusti, myFreepath's NEW Community Manager

2008-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Freepath: Hey Dave, how about some background info about what makes you and the whole “Digital Storytelling” thing click.

Dave: Well, I think I’d trace it back to my Grandfather. He was Michael Giusti and he immigrated to America in the 20’s. My ancestors originate from a small town in Italy just outside of Luca in the Tuscany area of northern Italy. Story telling is in my genes. My Pop used to tell us that the men in the town would meet at the local town center in the evening over a glass of vino to debate the topics of the day, tell stories and just generally pontificate. The interesting part is that the discourse was in rhyme. One person would make a point and another would offer up a rebuttal in verse.

Freepath: Like, “Slip out the back Jack, make a new plan Stan…” That kinda thing?

Dave: I don’t think it was that kind of thing. But that did rhyme.

Freepath: Speaking of a new plan: you’ve moved from Google where you did, what was it again?

Dave: Google was a great ride! I was there for close to 4 years. I was the Test Engineering Manager for AdWords. I had the chance to work with some outstanding individuals (check out my Old AdWords Test Engineering team playlist!) and a few pretty cool canines (there was an open dog-door policy).

I had built a strong team and was proud of my team’s achievements over the years.

Freepath: Why the step up to the larger, better financed Freepath, Inc?

Dave: I was looking for new challenges. I am drawn to the energy and dynamic environment of young companies. I feel that they are truly shaping the world!

When my wife and I moved to the Sacramento area, I started to look around for opportunities and I stumbled across myFreepath and Freepath. My initial interaction with myFreepath was as a user. I felt that it was a cool idea! After creating a few playlists and getting family members onboard and sharing, I realized that I wanted to meet the guys behind this cool new app and community.

Freepath: And… you found a whole company that sits around to tell stories and pontificate…

Dave: Well yeah, the idea of being a digital storyteller reminded me of my grandfather visiting the local town center to converse with his community. I too could do this, just in a different way, using multi media through playlists. I love the concept of being a digital storyteller. It’s that whole “ a picture says a thousand words” concept. I reached out to a few guys in the company. We met for lunch and I realized that not only is this a great idea, these are really smart, dynamic, inventive people with a really cool vision. One thing Lou has promoted to me since our first meeting is that our users are mavericks; the people who are looking for new ways to communicate, the ones willing to take a risk, try something new!

Freepath: Since you were one of the very first myFreepath users, what are the top five bene’s for community members?

Dave: #1 for me is the ability to exchange playlists with a community. My first grader had an assignment to make a collage of one of his choice of water, fire, earth, air. We went to myFreepath, did a search and found 2 great playlists: “Beach scenes” and “Oceans”. We downloaded the playlists into Freepath, selected a few pictures to save, then we printed them out…a pair of scissors…a little glue…mission accomplished!

#2 Juxtaposed to my first pick would be the ability to make a playlist only viewable by a private group. I don’t think most of the myFreepath community cares to see my daughter’s “owie” that she sustained after a spill on her bike (that I recorded, by the way!). Her grandma, aunt and cousins do! Creating a playlist that included a few snap shots of her skinned up knee along with the spill in real time on video made family members who are dispersed through out California and beyond the ability to see the story unfold before their eyes.

#3 I really like the use of RSS feeds so I can be alerted when a new playlist is added by one of my favorite fellow myFreepath users. This is powerful. Teachers sharing classroom material around a particular subject, sales teams exchanging marketing collateral, soap opera fans trading actor photos…O.K. that was for my sister-in-law ☺…..

#4 The ability to see myFreepath contacts and groups within Freepath. This integration is very tight and user friendly. Say I have a contact and she has a playlist that she has recently added. I can see it in my Library view under contacts. Clicking the new playlist downloads it. Now it is in my Playlist library. Seamless!

#5 A team that listens. I have looked at the forums and the feedback in there. It is this feedback that drives the roadmap for myFreepath. I know because I have been in the meetings. This is a team who cares what the community is asking for. I am proud to be the myFreepath’s community bull horn! This is your community. As Lou, Co-founder, CPO, likes to say about my role, “I am the new mayor in town. Here to protect and promote!” The cool thing is that I am backed by a “city counsel” who cares about your voice just as much as I do!

Freepath: O.K. we’ve given you the keys to this place, what are some things you’d like myFreepath to do better?

Dave: Well, being privy to some of the things on the horizon, I know we are well on our way! In light of my new role, I want to take the myFreepath community to the next level. When I think of the ways I have interacted with myFreepath: school assignments for my son, communicating to family members through video and pictures, sharing content with people who think what I think is cool is cool, e.g. see Pictures of my favorite authors and poets playlist—I want to come up with ideas on how to increase that sense of community. I think we can do a better job of it—actually, I don’t think you ever really reach that point where it is perfect. It is coming up with new ways of connecting people. New ways of communicating. New ways to make people say “Wow!”

I want the myFreepath team to reach out to the community—I want the community to reach out to us and to each other. As more and more playlists are added, for fun or for work, we, the community are building a powerful tool. A tool built by us! Defined by us! Be heard…. .PLAY!

Freepath: What’s your favorite .play file so far?

Hilarious Signage From China. This playlist is a perfect example of how everyday life can be hilarious! Having a number of Chinese friends, it was something I could share with others and keep the laughs going! Wow! All from digital pictures…powerful! For me, It also was a comment on how things get lost in translation and the need for us to break down communications barriers…that sometimes words do get in the way…haha…that was deep!

Freepath: Freepath has this thing about connecting people and content. What is it about people and their digital stuff that grabs your attention?

Dave: I have an Uncle who doesn’t talk much. He is quiet and reserved. But when you put a violin in his hands, he comes alive. This meek man is transformed into a giant as notes sting the air. I have always thought to myself, that is how he communicates. His way of saying “this is who I am!” A way for him to be heard, for him to scream from his own mountain top.

Freepath: Wow, you really ARE Italian!

Dave: I see the exchange of playlists in a similar light. Take a look at my playlists. Through pictures and media you’ll get a sense of who I am. A guy with a love for his family, music, literature and relationships he has forged over his life thus far. It is a new way for me to communicate—for me to get out who I am—unencumbered by words. Utilizing the multi media palette if you will!

Freepath: So, when you are not pontificating with the rest of us, what are you up to?

Dave: Currently I am coaching my son’s soccer team. He is in 7 and under league. Talk about energy! My 4 year old daughter would want you to know that I am a frequent attendee at her fabulous pink unicorn tea parties! I must say the tea is to die for! I also enjoy a run from time to time, a good book and I am a bit of an audiophile/music nut. I have a record collection that hovers around 3000, 2000+ Cds and 150 gigs of mp3s. It drives my wife nuts ☺!

Freepath: Hey, so last thing… what’s the link to the funniest YouTube clip you’ve ever seen?

Dave: Well, it is hard to pick just one! Friends and family are always sending me links to the latest funny video on YouTube. By the way, my plan is to make a playlist and add to it over time and share it with family and friends…not to mention the myFreepath community! So, my brother sent me one last week that was a big hit with the family. As I mentioned before, music is big in our house. The name of the clip is “Evolution of Dance”. It is by the comedian Judson Laipply. This guy has some moves! The title says it all…hilarious!

Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Freepath: Thanks Dave!

You’ll find Dave at www.myFreepath.com. Search members for “Dave Giusti". Drop him a line, he’d be glad to hear from you.

FREEPATH OPENS DIGITAL CONTENT FOR PRESENTATIONS AND SHARING - Freepath 2.0 Public Beta Available

2008-08-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Folsom, CA, August 7, 2008 – Freepath, Inc. (www.freepath.com), creators of
applications and communities to enable the sharing of digital content, today
launched the public beta of Freepath 2.0 and its companion myFreepath
content sharing community – both as free services to its users. Freepath
2.0 has been in private beta since May.

Freepath 2.0 (beta) enhances how people interact with their digital content.
Digital assets can be easily organized into a ‘playlist’ for non-linear access on demand. Freepath lets users play anything from the web seamlessly with their favorite content on their PC resulting in a presentation mashup of images, videos, music and documents such as PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Excel.

Freepath’s ease-of-use and portability is a significant breakthrough to previous technology boundaries. Users can now quickly package playlists and share them with others through the myFreepath community. All beta users get up to 100 MB of free storage space to enable a viral exchange of playlists and content. The benefits of Freepath reach everyone who presents a message or tells a story – educators, students, trainers, speakers, pastors, sales professionals and beyond.

“We are improving the way everyday users share their digital stuff,” said John Stone, Freepath’s CEO. “Before Freepath, when someone prepared a lesson or any type of rich media presentation, they had to save, convert and embed files while dealing with multiple tabs on their desktop. Now they can just select content from their Freepath playlist and share it on demand in its native format.”

Freepath 2.0 (beta) includes three options for viewing digital assets making it much faster and easier to work with diverse types of media:

· Prep – digital assets are shown in a “Preview Window” in the upper right hand corner of the interface while the playlist library and active playlist are still accessible to the user;
· Full Screen – similar to the slide show mode in PowerPoint, any media in the playlist can be shown full screen either on the desktop or a mirrored view of the desktop; and
· Dual Screen – the active playlist interface remains on the user’s desktop while the main show projects to a screen or an external monitor, allowing the user to change the order and content of slides, videos, web sites and images in real time. Freepath’s dual monitor mode is compatible with the leading web conferencing tools such as WebEx, GoToMeeting, Live Meeting and Intercall.

Availability and System Requirements: Freepath 2.0 (beta) is available for immediate download at www.freepath.com for all PC users running either Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft Windows XP.

Freepath 1.0 was previously available for $149.

About Freepath: Founded in 2007, Freepath is a company focused on rich media communication and collaboration for the education, business and consumer markets. The Freepath team has many years of media, technology and consumer products experience and is led by a former Apple executive. Freepath is based in Folsom, California and is funded by Velocity Venture Capital and angel investors from Strategis Early Ventures, the Sacramento Angels and the Sierra Angels.

Web On-Demand (June 04, 2008)

2008-07-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Kind of a funny title, don’t you think? But when you really look at it, the web is rarely available the way you’d like it to be during a presentation. I read a blog a while back about a classroom where the teacher used a term I hadn’t heard before…"Google-jockey". One of her students would act as a scribe/surfer (Google-jockey) and as the class discussed certain ideas, the student would race through search terms in Google, Wikipedia and other filtered sites to enhance learning.

As you’re going along clicking links and seeing new, interesting things, you can use the Freepath favorites button to slam that new thing right into your active playlist. Just look at the end and you’ll see it there.

This is just one example of how live web sites come into play with today’s communication. More and more business sites are part of a sales person’s value proposition to clients. The interaction a customer can experience with a product’s web tools is more important than just the aesthetic design of the site. PowerPoint does a good job of embedding a screen capture, but moving easily from one site or page to another is a chore.

Freepath (especially running in the advanced Dual Screen set up) is unparalleled in moving between any local client content and web content. In fact the URL tool in the Freepath AV rack lets your Google-jockey (which may be you…) type or paste any new website in on the fly. You, of course have the hyper-organized option of getting all the URL’s you want into your playlist the night before, and going straight to them.

If you’re one of those lucky bums with a Luidia eBeam or SmartBoard, or the like, you’ll find Freepath’s full screen mode to be quite good at moving through your playlist, including all that great web content. In fact, as long as you’re using the navigation buttons and screen unlock, you can even navigate with your input device of choice right at the board. Every link becomes a new path to something new. (of course, you’ll be aware of what’s appropriate for your audience. Freepath does a lot of things, but censoring you isn’t one of them.)

So time to see the web in a new light. Since you don’t have to screen capture the pages you want to show, we think Freepath has just cut your prep time into… real time? What a concept!

Private Beta (July 02, 2008)

2008-07-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks have elapsed since the last blog post. We’ve been really busy getting the private beta program together. By now you’ve probably noticed a whole new website. These are action packed days for us Freepathers as we test out and gather information about how the sites and application are working.

Also you’ve maybe noticed this thing called myFreepath. We’ve not said much about that up to now because it is the single biggest feature change in Freepath. This novel approach to sharing the load of developing quality presentations by combining a downloadable application with an online community will increase productivity and cut down on prep time. Playlists from your network of colleagues appear instantly in your installed version of Freepath for instant download. Or, you can browse the community and download a playlist with your browser.

I’d encourage you to join the private beta if you haven’t already, and set up your myfreepath account so you can grab that ideal user name before some other less deserving person does it. We’d like to get some good uploads of your favorite playlists soon. We’re getting lots of feedback on the application, now we’d like to see some .play files pushed up to the community.

Here’s an idea: make several playlists out of your favorite YouTube clips. (Just use the URL they provide and paste it into your playlist.) Then tag them with some relevant terms and use the “Upload a Playlist” link in your profile to make it publicly searchable and downloadable.

As a matter of fact, any collection of websites would be great in a playlist. If you want to invite some colleagues to join myFreepath, as well, feel free to begin creating groups and uploading .play’s to those groups for collaboration.

Remember you’ve got 100mb of free space up there. We’d love to see you make good use of it.

Hear and Now (May 19, 2008)

2008-05-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sounds are often overlooked as a great way to reinforce your point. That’s because we often think about the projector (or whatever you use to enlarge your visuals), as a more sexy presentation tool than the sound system (or whatever you use to enlarge your music, effects, and sound stories).

National Public Radio does a great job using sound to tell a story. After all, they are radio! You’ll be listening to air hiss out of a pipe and a clanging sound, then some people talking in a language you’ve never spoken, highlighted by clucking chickens. When the narrator says something about the low-wage worker in the outback of Cali, Colombia and his family’s struggle to keep the mill running… you’ve got a vivid picture of the place in your mind.

That’s why we’ve built easy to load and play sound tools into Freepath. When you’re looking at the PowerPoint slide of the galaxy, then show a flash animation of orbital trajectory between here and the moon, how cool to play the famous Apollo 11 “one small step for man…” mp3 that you can download for free from www.freeinfosociety.com.

Oddly, sounds work best in Freepath in the Dual Screen display. That’s because you can DJ your music and effects while your audience is riveted to your smashing projected visuals.

Freepath lets you play music for example, and span it across all your sequence of media. In fact you can also tee up multiple music cues and trigger them one after another, as you need them, without disrupting your visuals. We’ve all tried to jump back and forth between iTunes and PowerPoint to run the sound playlist under the PowerPoint deck. Not fun. Well, you don’t have to anymore. That’s all done in one application, Freepath. Sounds play uninterrupted under all visuals, and if it’s video you’re playing, you can actually mix audio in real time.

You can even drag files from iTunes right into Freepath. The sound controller will run all the music you have in a playlist in a loop until you tell it to stop. The forward and back arrows allow you to override the playback and will move to the next song through a nice dissolve.

So the next time you want to inspire your sales team, drop in the audio of Aragorn’s battle speech from the Return of the King, or create a whole set of playlists in your library with soothing music for the break periods during your training sessions. You probably can’t afford to have an orchestra follow you to speaking engagements. Might as well use what’s free to download, Freepath. (You will, of course pay royalties and give due credit where required for content you play, won’t you…!)

Coming up: Why in the world you’d want to navigate the web with your audience…

Presenting Video the Easy Way (May 12, 2008)

2008-05-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

You know how it goes. You’ve got this video you want to show your audience. PowerPoint does a pretty fair job of encrusting that Windows format video into one of its slides. Usually, you insert it and then grab a corner to resize it to however large you want… Or, of course you can clumsily alt-tab to some minimized video player and try to make it full screen without your audience noticing.

There are lots of ways to use video in your digital storytelling. It’s amazing how many places, in many different sizes and lengths video comes in these days. They usually contain more material than your audience should be expected to consume in one sitting. We’ve always wanted a fast way to just show the most fetching part of any video.

That explains a little about Freepath’s video prep tool:

This should give you a picture of our priorities. You see only a few simply presented functions. You can bring in any video you like, yes even QuickTime, and start wherever you want in the clip, as well as stop wherever you want. Just one button click to set each of those. Then you can set play volume, the playlist thumbnail and an option to replay the clip in a loop. Again, one click on each choice.

Freepath plays all videos as a full screen experience. Uh… because you have a screen that matches your audience’s viewing preference. That said, here’s a bonus, you can still encrust that video in a PowerPoint slide if you want to play it old school.

Freepath gives you two ways to play your videos in full screen. If you take advantage of the dual display feature, you’ll have access to the AV rack while video is playing. Check this out (shown here as playing alongside an audio cue):

As you can tell, when using dual display, you can pause, jog and adjust volume while playing your video. Just one more way Freepath puts you in control of your content, rather than the other way round.

Next time: You’ve got sound effects or a whole audio track to run while you present? No problem in Freepath.

Sharing Your Content Live (May 05, 2008)

2008-05-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

For years PC users have made good use of extending the Windows desktop beyond a single monitor. Most people do this so they can create more space on which to work. That’s because the “dualview", as Microsoft calls it, allows you to move easily back and forth between the two, which translates into more viewable documents and applications simultaneously. If this is new to you, there is more information and set up steps available for XP from the Microsoft Expert Zone. Instructions are also found in your Windows Help (both Vista and XP).

If that second monitor is your data projector, Freepath takes advantage of the extra real estate by displaying only what you’ve double-clicked. Kind of a remote control. Freepath also has two other live display modes in case you’re not connected to a second monitor.

Sharing options: Prep, Full Screen, Dual Screen, Export

Freepath, by default, assumes you will want to work with your playlist before going live to your audience. So you always start in what is called “Prep". That means you’ll be able to see your media in the “Preview Window", (the smaller monitor in the upper right hand corner of the interface). This is great for quick sequencing and rehearsals.

The next is “Full Screen". Any double-clicked media in your playlist can be displayed as a full screen experience. This is a good way to go through your content one-on-one from your laptop. It’s also not a bad way of working from a podium with a cloned view of your desktop and a remote clicker. To get the Freepath interface back when running full screen, simply swipe the mouse along any of the four sides of the screen, or hit the escape key.

And of course, “Dual Screen". Use this when you’re presenting your content to an audience that may benefit from spontaneity. Because the Freepath playlist is on your laptop screen while your audience is viewing the content you’ve selected on the projector, you have the freedom to rearrange your sequence, check your email, respond to IM’s coming in, all while you’re presenting. OK, so that’s a little far flung, but, suffice to say that you’ve just protected your audience from those new email alerts that pop up while you’re sharing your cloned screen. Dual screen keeps all the primary stuff on your laptop’s display, so your audience can focus on what you want them to. Consider Freepath the next time you’re running a web conference on GoToMeeting or WebEx. Once you’ve had that kind of command of your media, you’ll never go back.

Next time we’ll look at how movies work in Freepath.

PowerPoint: Love ya, mean it, don't ever change... (April 28, 2008)

2008-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Freepath plays PowerPoint, among other things. And if I may say so, it does a pretty good job of it too. Just drag any .ppt(x) file into Freepath’s playlist and it’s ready for you. The same goes for any image, Word document, PDF, Excel, URL, Music, Movie or Flash/Shockwave file.

PowerPoint does a nice job of creating interesting entrances, exits and transitions for your various graphics and bullet points. Freepath plays them all. Other applications and web apps import PowerPoint files, but they flatten the images. That is, they remove all the glitz. Freepath launches the PowerPoint file in its native application, so those cool effects work exactly as you would expect.

Freepath sees PowerPoint as a nice package of slides that can be made to play seamlessly alongside other files, including some that are otherwise incompatible. Freepath rips each .ppt into a “chooser” window where you can actually pick which slide you want to show, in or out of order. Here’s what the chooser looks like:

Of course it’s also worth pointing out that you can open several PowerPoints at the same time in Freepath. That way you can jump from one slide in any .ppt to any other slide in any other .ppt. This is especially helpful when you consider Freepath’s advanced optional use of Two Monitors. That’s what I’ll talk about in the next post here on the Freepath Blog.

Meanwhile, below is an interview I did last year at PowerPoint Live in New Orleans with Geetesh Bajaj from Indezine.com. Besides coming up at the top of any Google search for PowerPoint blogs, Geetesh is also a Microsoft MVP. You’ll see quickly in this YouTube video that this visionary slide maven recognizes the powerful synergy between Freepath and PowerPoint.

.PLAY Your Stuff (April 14, 2008)

2008-04-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Nope, that’s not a typo. “.play” is the new file extension for Freepath’s portable playlists. You version 1.0 Players will recognize the idea, but we called it a “GoFile” back then. Here’s how it works.

Playlists in Freepath are really a bunch of links to the actual files on your hard drive or URL’s from the web. When you make a cue (usually done by dragging the files into Freepath, or by using the “Import” button on the toolbar), those thumbnail images in your open playlist “point” to the actual file. When you think about it, just sending pointers to another person wouldn’t help much if the file still lives on your PC.

The Freepath 2.0 Export function packs up all those items in your playlist into a .play. Freepath will give the file the same name as the original playlist, for example if your playlist is named “History101″, the exported file will be “History101.play".

There are three ways to export. Use the File:Export menu. Right click on the playlist in the Library, choose “Export". Click the “Export” button over the preview window.

We have always felt that in this world of social computing, there has been a fairly large gap in the area of presentations. That’s what Freepath’s playlist-centric world view aims to facilitate. It’s all about sharing. (Back in kindergarten, you did it through show and tell, now that you’re all grown up, you can show, tell and pass your files around.)

Ideas that stick. When it gets right down to it we’re, all of us, trying to influence or inspire, sometimes outright change our audiences; right? When you press your ideas into this thing commonly known as a “presentation", you run the risk of becoming a matter of history as soon as you leave the building. Those who .play their presentations have the added ability to leave behind any of their assets as an easy to transport file. Since Freepath 2.0 is a free download, anybody in the audience with a Windows PC can open and relive the magic of your playlist. We think that’s the way it should be.

Of course, you’ll want to abide by all rules governing the use of copyrighted materials. But that’s all pretty simple: find out what the work’s author or artist wants, (usually attribution, or cash) and give it to him or her. And it goes without saying, if they don’t want you to spread their stuff around, well… don’t.

Next time I’ll tell you about how Freepath makes it easy to stream lists of online videos without having to download and convert them.

The Library: A Better Way to Manage Playlists (April 08, 2008)

2008-04-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Content is only useful if you can get to it easily. That’s why Freepath 2.0 features a library of playlists. This listing of your collections of assets from your computer and the web makes it a snap to move from one item to the next.

This is especially helpful when playing during an interactive session. Question and answer doesn’t always go as you had planned. Sometimes you’ve got that PowerPoint slide from last week’s presentation. No problem. Just click on last week’s playlist and launch the PowerPoint of your choice.

Now with multi-select, you can cut or copy whole chunks of one playlist and paste them into another. Or even easier, just drag them from playlist to playlist. It’s also very easy to make new playlists. That green “+” you see at the top of the Library is the click that makes it happen. And of course, you can rename any playlist you want just by clicking on the last given name.

Freepath is many things to many people. Here’s one common denominator: known content is useful content. We’ll continue to add functionality to the way Freepath 2.0 knows about and serves you just the right stuff, if even when you’re presenting in real time.

It all works, as I said last time, just like you wanted it to.

Next time I write, I’ll tell you about the improvements we’ve made in exporting your Playlists. You’ll love how easy it is to make your content sharable.

"Streaming Video is Dead" (So You Would Think) (April 21, 2008)

2008-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

A browser does not great presentation video make. Wow, that sounded like Yoda. Point is, if you look around a little, you’ll see that browsers are great for watching videos with one or two of your pals, but in a board room or lecture hall?? Not so much.

Just because “certain” software makes it hard to present web video, there’s no reason to think it useless. Streamed videos are online for a reason, they’re darned easy to watch that way. Problem is, they’re usually Flash (.flv to be exact). And even if you download the thing, it’s not so easy to use in a presentation. PowerPoint doesn’t want you navving away from its slides, and even Alt-Tabbing to that shareware .flv-player is awkward.

Enter Freepath 2.0. Remember, you can play all those other kinds of media, like PowerPoint slides right through Freepath. And if you want to go to a website, all you need is an internet connection, and who doesn’t have one of those these days. I mean even five years ago, I was checking my email from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia right next to a guy sipping warm mare’s milk. What a world.

So Freepath. An internet connection, faster the better. You’re set. Drop the link to your YouTube movie or Hulu, Netflix, iBloks, or even slide.com into your playlist. Only one more step. Show it. You can even choose to click the “full-screen” option found on most of these sites.

So why do we think so much of web-based content? Because it’s sometimes the best way to tell your story. Millions of videos with parts of your story are right there for you to use. We’ve all said those dreaded words, “I can’t” when it comes to some of the best ways to influence our audiences. The web isn’t just for research anymore, got a URL? Freepath will show it.

And if you read back one post, you’ll see that Freepath also lets you pack a .play (our transportable playlists) and send it to anyone you want. Imagine collecting up what you think are the funniest clips on YouTube into one sharable playlist! Here are 10 ways Freepath players have thought of using Freepath for streaming videos:

Make ‘em Laugh. What a great way to start a boring training event.
Virtual Field Trip. Uploaded vacation videos are a LOT cheaper than airfare.
YouTube Party! (Junior High boys, no accounting for taste).
Safety 101. What NOT to do in the warehouse during lunch.
Family Reunion. Fifteen grandkids, one playlist.
Weird Science. The textbook isn’t clear on how the Mentos get into the diet cola.
Customer Testimonials. They’re already talking about your products, show them off.
Breaking News. Lead off your keynote with this morning’s news.
Webcam Wallpaper. Your class can’t take their eyes off the Osprey nest.
Disaster Briefing. Response teams prepare and learn from real-time uploads.

I bet you can come up with about 50 more uses just from your own experience. So we’d have to say streaming video is alive and well… as long as you have an easy, affordable way to show it… Hmmmmmm. (Why do you think we called it “Free” path?)

Next time around, some old news. PowerPoint. Wait, don’t get me wrong, we think PowerPoint is great, it’s just that with Freepath, it’s even better!

Counting Down (April 2, 2008)

2008-04-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the easiest way to share your all your cool digital favorites with anyone in the world. Leading up to the general release of Freepath 2.0, we’ll show you a little bit of what we’ve been up to these past months. If you haven’t signed up for the free download of version 2.0, just drop your email address in over there at the “Register for Free” on the left.

Many of you Version 1.0 “Players” have made excellent feature requests. We prioritized your most popular ideas and are confident you’ll like the improvements that have resulted from your input.

One of those was a resizable interface. Freepath 2.0’s new interface is pretty much exactly what you asked for. You can use more of your desktop for a larger playlist if you want, or bring it down to a minimum size that will fit even in those ancient 800x600 monitors.

The playlist is now even more functional than ever. You’ll be happy to know that you can multi-select using your “Shift” or “Control” key while clicking. Copy, cut, paste and even delete whole chunks of your digital story in a single keystroke! Freepath 2.0 is Vista compatible. Those of you running XP won’t be disappointed, but as you can see in the screen capture above, we make the most of the Vista aesthetic and accompanying functionality.

In my next posting, I’ll show you what we’re doing with the new Playlist Library. Once again, in response to your input, we’ve created a fast and easy way for you to organize your content between audiences. I know it helps to see screen shots of the application, so I’ll try to snap some off for you.

We’ve previewed some of the early interaction design with educators, business presenters, students, and others who share their videos, websites, pictures and documents on a daily basis. The overwhelming response was “WOW". One teacher even said, “I’ve waited all my career for this very application…”

Until next time, remember to do whatever it takes to make your point!