Mr Hyde's Other Notebook

Worpdress Plugin

There's quite a bit of buzz around Traffic Player at the moment that makes a screen around your YouTube clips.

It's a plugin for Wordpress and you can make it look like a computer, iPad, Ipod etc.

http://tinyurl.com/3qtm8j3

I don't use it myself but I know a few people who do.

Life Long Learning

I love Lynda.com It's a fast track way to learn new software, with online videos that are brilliant.

With a new Computer here, a wife who's started TAFE and a bunch of stuff I need to get working as soon as possible, I've resubscribed for a few months. If you have never tried it you really should check it out.

I've also just discovered you can actually get a free one day access pass to the site. Whoo Hoo. It may be all the time you need to learn a new technique! Free 24 hour pass to lynda.com.

Is this the best Speaker website ever??

 
I guess many of you are starting the year off and thinking .. "I need a new
website"

Speaker coach Jane Atkinson recently ran a contest where her readers could
submit their own websites. An expert panel judged and declared a winner from
the 80 sites. Here it is ..

http://www.toninewman.com/
 

Here's the full blog story with the reasons they picked it plus two of the
runners up.

http://www.speakerlauncher.com/blog/877/website-contest-we-have-our-winners/

Mentalist Australia

Australia's "Magician of the Mind" Timothy Hyde presents his new website "Mentalist Australia."

It's still a work in progress, but I like the sharp clean lines and lots of white space. Have a look and tell me what you think.

http://www.mentalistaustralia.com

By the way, if you use Wordpress yourself, check out the Thesis Theme that I used.

It has built in SEO, my new site was very quickly indexed by Google and now sits at Number 2 spot on some searches! That's very impressive.

Fantastic Contraption - fantastic time waster

I know... it's Monday morning and you have a huge week stretching out in front of you, and a ToDo list as long as your arm.

So what better than a link to this, a totally brilliant flash puzzle game.

It's based on a strong physics engine and allows you to tinker and build "fantastic contraptions" to solve a range of tricky yet simple challenges.

What's great is that there is no "correct answer." Puzzles can be solved in ways only limited by your imagination. If you need ideas visit the forum or once you have invented a solution, other players creative solutions can be viewed.

It's free for the first 10 levels and I highly recommend it as time waster of the week.  PLAY

Way too much fun

After a busy week, this is the perfect thing to play with.

Check out what's happened to my normal "peaceful" website !

Have your sound ON.

Once you've seen how it works, adjust the settings on the top toolbar
for your own website and effects. The Led Zeppelin is good,

Now Do This

A simple & elegant Productivity Tool.

When you have a short list of things
that must be done
one at a time
without distraction

http://www.nowdothis.com/

Brilliant design help

I've had a few questions from readers of this Blog about how I have made the graphics for the E-Book covers displayed here and on my site.

Well, I use Photoshop... but I spent a few $ on buying what I believe is a brilliant training tool and collection of Photoshop "Actions" and Templates.

I really don't use Photoshop enough to get good at it, I have to relearn it each time I want to get something done, so this package is a great help. Load up the type of thing you want - CD Cover, Ebook, Box, DVD Case etc.. click a few buttons and it does the work!     Full Details on Package Here

By the way, if you don't already subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter Timothy Speaks you should.
It covers material that we don't include here on the Blog.   Subscribe Here

This is going to be HUGE! - SPORE

As some of you know, I have a strong interest in the development of massive multiplayer games. In fact I set up Australia's first commercial Play by Mail company, Chameleon Games, back in the early 80's. Yep, mail was the medium for the collecting of turns from hundreds of players. Computers still processed the moves and the results were posted back out. The good old days before we all had modems.

I no longer have a commercial interest in this field, though I watch with fascination it's growth and development and sometimes play a bit if time allows.  Huge successes such as World of Warcraft and Second Life and the multiplayer aspects to many other commercial releases grew from these beginnings.

Two recent games are listed here. Both intriguing and both available free.

Launched just a few days ago the first downloadable demo of the SPORE game is now available.

http://www.spore.com/

It's a large file ( 200 meg) but it's bound to start appearing on Magazine cover discs soon which will save you time.

This will be huge. After just a few days the one millionth creature has already been designed.

Obviously the full game will cost to buy, but the Creature Creator module is a fascinating and brilliant piece of work.

The multiplayer aspects to the full game are also clever. You will not be playing actually against other players but their creatures and input will factor into your "world".

On a completely different level Track Mania satisfies the need for speed.

Your car races at terrifying speed around incredible tracks.

Race against the clock, design your own tracks or play online against 30 other players scattered around the world.

Warning - It's addictive. NASA TV

I guess all Creativity & Innovation speakers and writers have an interest in NASA and the Space Program. So many wonderful stories, examples and metaphores that can be applied in all sorts of different fields.

With last weeks success of the Phoenix spacecraft landing near the north pole of Mars for a 90-day digging mission and today's launch of the Shuttle Discovery heading up to the International Space Station to drop off a new module for Japan and some much needed plumbing parts for the malfunctioning toilet,  interest in all things "space" is booming.

Two ways to really get involved.

1/ NASA TV  - Warning it's very addictive. Live feeds from Mission Control, The Shuttle and Space Station.

http://www.nasa.tv/



2/ Send Your Name Into Space

The launch of the Keplar Mission in early 2009 gives you another opportunity to be immortalised in space.
The spacecraft that will go into orbit around the sun and will search for habitable planets like our own, will carry a DVD with thousands of names on it, one of which is mine. You can join in too...(and get a certificate to prove it)

http://kepler.nasa.gov/