Demo Girl

I don't remember how I came across this site, but I'm glad I did! Demo Girl is all about Web 2.0 tools. Not only does Molly McDonald, editor in chief, provide a short description of a tool, but she also provides a short screencast demonstrating its use. In Molly's own words:

Would you rather sign up for a new service, verify your email, and then try to figure it out by reading some FAQ’s or would you rather watch a 2 or 3 minute screencast demo and see for yourself if it’s even worth your time?

And she even provides the code to include the screencast demo on your blog or website. All of her screencasts are located at Viddler. If you want to get the code you have to signup. (I'll have to see if dg has a screencast on Viddler, since I'm not familiar with Viddler. It appears to be similar to YouTube, but better. It allows one to record directly to the website, tag and comment in the moment.)

I would definitely recommend adding dg to your RSS feed. You can then pick and choose the tools that might interest you.

twhirl

I now have a desktop client for twitter, twhirl. Now I don't have to login to twitter, just open twirl and it does all the same things as twitter on my Windows XP desktop. It even has the documentation right there in case I have any questions about how to use twhirl.

A big THANK YOU to Vicki Davis' Cool Cat Teacher Blog. I read her Web2 Soliliquy post today and discovered twhirl is one of her favorite Web 2.0 websites. What a creative lady!

Vote Today!

The annual WebWare 100 vote is taking place right now. 300 finalists have been selected from almost 5000 nominations. This is your chance to voice your opinion about the best Web applications and if you're like me, find out what's new. Take a look at the Newbies Guides if you want to find out more about Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google Reader, or Flock.

• Vote 3 times in 10 different categories:

* Audio * Browsing * Commerce and events * Communication

* Productivity * Publishing and photography * Search and reference

* Social * Utility and security * Video

World Book's Second Annual You Be the Judge lets you vote on the 2009 Spinescape design. Choose among four rich images designed to encourage readers to learn and explore more about their world:

Grace in Movement, championing the importance of physical activity in combating childhood obesity.

Portrains of Greatness, showcasing iconic figures that have
inspired people throughout history, from Shakespeare to Martin Luther King Jr.

Diversity of Life, underscoring the importance of
protecting wildlife and preserving fragile ecosystems that are essential to
the integrity of life on Earth.

Feeding the World, commemorating agricultural efforts worldwide that hold great promise for alleviating hunger and poverty as the world population continues to increase.

You only have the rest of March to vote so do it today!

The Librarian Song

Here's a fun video for librarians everywhere.

SlideShare

The Tech Chicks podcast, #13, recommended SlideShare. It is a tool which allows you to share presentations. With SlideShare you can:

• Embed slideshows into your own blog or website.
• Share slideshows publicly or privately. There are several ways to share privately.
• Synch audio to your slides.
• Market your your event on slideshare.
• Join groups to connect with SlideShare members who share your interests.
• Download the original PowerPoint / Pdf file
  

SlideShare doesn't allow you to create a slideshow or powerpoint presentation, but you can upload any presentation/s created elsewhere and your mp3 file and then synch your audio to make a slidecast.

It's a way to create a presentation without the need for lots of equipment and software. Students could use the site to display their work and learn from comments of the community.