Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
ePub...
Sure you can use InDesign or Quark to create ePubs, but not many people have access and know how to use those software programs. Easy ePub creation is not only good for authors who want to self publish, it's also great for kids. From our experience students are ecstatic to share the eBooks they create and they love the process of creating them so much it encourages them to write more. Anything that builds literacy and a love of reading is always going to be a win in our book, and when it involves tech, so much the better.
Enhanced ePubs
For creating enhanced ePubs, the kind that the iPad just loves to gobble up in the best way, Pages ($19.99) is by far the easiest tool. We have used Pages on the Mac with children as young as 7 to create their own enhanced (with video) eBooks. The children created the illustrations for the books on the iPad, shot the video in Photobooth on the Mac, and composed the story with video and still elements in Pages on the Mac (Pages on the iPad does not support ePub export).
The best way to get started using Pages to create ePubs is to download the sample guide by Apple. View this sample and use it as a template to create your own books. Important things to remember are that all images with the exception of the cover must be "Inline," as "Floating" graphics are not supported for ePub export. Because ePubs flow depending on the size of the screen they are being read on, it's a good idea to give a few spaces before and after each graphic element.
If you are creating a text heavy book that is not image intensive, Pages is the way to go simple solution wise. Creating the eBook is easy and is much like creating any text document as long as you obey the style guidelines set by Apple. If you do not follow these style guidelines, your book will not look at all like you expected it to and the process can be frustrating.
Picture Books
By far the easiest solution we've found for creating eBook picture books (aka fixed layout ePubs) is the Book Creator app ($6.99) by Red Jumper Studio. This iPad app (Android is currently in development) allows you to quickly and easily create your own ePubs that can be emailed, sent to a file app on your device like Dropbox or sent to iBooks.
The beauty of this app is in its simplicity and how well it utilizes the iPad as a creation device. With this app taking over the ePub composition role, you can now use your iPad to illustrate (I used the free SketchBook Express app for the illustrations in this example), write, compose, and distribute your eBook. This app is already being used by teachers with elementary aged students in many schools because it is so user friendly.
While this app does not currently do everything we want in a fixed layout ePub creation tool, future plans for the app include adding enhanced content as well as landscape book orientation. After looking for some time for a picture book creation tool that was easy enough for a beginning reader to create their own books, yet powerful enough for a non design software savvy adult to self publish, we think this is hands down the best solution out there.
Kids Table w/ Chairs...
This
kids table and chair set was in good condition, but was a bit plain and
somewhat dated. As you might guess, a new coat of paint gave it a
completely new look and life.
Make your own stylus pen...
We're still trying to think of a stylus emergency. Maybe if you lost all of your fingertips in a horrific factory accident? And you're the only one around? And your only means of communication is a capacitive touchscreen device? Whatever. The point is that one of you might need to MacGyver yourself a touch-screen pen stylus sometime in the near future. Here's how you do it.
Apparently, Scotch Brite sponges are well-known to be made of a conductive material. You could technically hold the yellow side of a Scotch Brite in your hand and control your iPad with the tip of the corner of the sponge.
But before you get sent to the loony bin for operating your iPad with a sponge, try this hack: Wrap a bit of craft wire around a cut piece of Scotch Brite sponge. Then, empty the inkwell from a cheap ballpoint pen and poke a little hole through one side of the case near the point of the pen. Draw the wired sponge up through the pen point, leaving a little point of sponge exposed at the end, and wrap the excess wire around the outside of the pen case.
As long as you have your finger resting on the wrapped wire, that bit of sponge at the point of the pen will allow you to point and drag all over any touch screen.
So if you ever find yourself without fingertips, but conveniently in the company of some conductive wire (paperclips would work, too!) and a Scotch Brite sponge, you know you can still whip out your iPhone and dial 911. You should definitely go do that, by the way, if you're still missing your fingertips.
USB Wall Outlet...
Are there ever enough outlets? With the evergrowing array of gadgets that find their way into our home (Pads, Tabs, Fires, iPhones, and Nexuses) it seems like the answer is a resounding "No!" Maybe it's time to give that outlet a reboot with some USB functionality. Read on and we'll show you how.
It's 2012 and although there aren't flying cars as the movies predicted, we do at least have some choices when it comes to USB Wall Outlets.
You can literally go Plug 'n Play with the Wall Plate Charger from RCA
Perhaps you're a minimalist though, and the amount that the RCA plug
sticks out from the wall is buggin'. Then you can go with one of these
built-in options:
As any DIY minimalist knows though, going sleek and smooth usually equals 4x the time and effort (give or take a few x's). So before you're buying one of the built-in options you may want to do a little research and check the depth of your electrical junction box depth. Why oh why? Because these USB wall plates have got some serious back. Below is a comparison of regular outlet (left) against a USB wall outlet from Fastmac (right).
FYI the one from OWC isn't any skinnier.
To pack in that extra bulk you're junction box is going to need to
have a volume of around 20 cu. inches. Or about 3" deep for a
single-gang switch. It's likely an older home will be outfitted with
much slimmer junction boxes and is probably not suited for this job.
You're certainly welcome to try, but that task will likely require
fitting in a new junction box and doing some drywall patching. Assuming
that's more trouble than most will be willing to undertake, we're just
going to show you how to do it in the event your junction box does have
enough area.Here's how to do it:
- Find an outlet you want to replace. Don't do this for GFCI outlets with a button, as these USB outlets do not have GFCI functionality built-in.
- Cut off power to the room(s) you're replacing the sockets in via the main circuit breaker panel.
- Unscrew the existing wall plate and remove.
- Unscrew the electrical outlet from the junction box.
- Take note of how your socket is connected. Try snapping pics with your phone and drawing a diagram.
- Remove the power wires from the existing electrical outlet
- Our Fastmac USB outlet just has one neutral wire terminal. So if you had a middle-of-run wired outlet (pictured to the right in image above), you're going to have to combine the two wires into one. The kit supplies a knot and extra wire for this
- Attach the wires to the new USB electrical outlet. Don't forget the ground.
- Push back in the wires and screw the new USB outlet into the junction box. Likely a very tight and snug fit.
- Turn back on the power and look for the polarity mismatch indicator. If it's glowing something is wrong with the wiring. Go back and try to fix.
- If the indicator is not glowing then you should be set. Turn back off the power and screw in the wall plate cover.
- Clean up and turn back on power when done.
Voila! It's a cool trick if you get it working right. We tricked out our guest room, master bedroom (by the nightstands where sleeping gadgets lie), and an outlet by our living room couch for guests. All outlets shown here also pack enough current to charge the iPad as well. So if you're power charging options at home are feeling sparse, grab one of these and more power to ya!
Turn Old Bottles Into Glasses...
Beer bottles (with screen-printed, unremovable labels)
Rubber gloves
Safety goggles
Wine bottle cutter (like the Generation Green Bottle Cutter)
Sandpaper (low and high grit)
Boiling water
First, make sure the beer bottles you'll be using are washed, clean and dry. Then, using a wine bottle cutter, score a straight line around the entire bottle where you'll make the cut. Next, boil some hot water (preferably in a teapot.) After putting on safety gloves and goggles, bring the bottle over to a sink and run cold water. Slowly pour a small amount of the boiling water onto the score line you made in the bottle, heating it up. As the glass begins to heat, place the bottle under cold water. You'll notice the bottle has cracked on the score line. Repeat this process once more and the bottle top should fall right off, leaving a smooth edge. Finish by smoothing the edges with sandpaper, beginning with a low grit, working to a higher grit if necessary.
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