Pooky Amsterdam and her quick wit at Alliance Virtual Library Awards Event

Playlist of Golden Leaf Awards videos (6 videos available in SD or HD):
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A62EAF659A614A28
(Note: click on the HQ (high quality) or HD (high definition) button on the YouTube player to view better quality or larger videos (1280x720 = HD)
Part 1: Arriving at the Cinesphere: Pooky Amsterdam greeting attendees with the microphone and her quick wit... with everyone fighting lag as they make it along the red carpet to the wacky teleporter.
Attendees who were recorded include: Krull Aeon for design and creation of the Golden Leaf Award and the beautiful building where the awards were held (see the end of part 6 for great shots of the building and interior). DaisyBlue Hefferman for the interior decoration of the building. Daisyblue's voice instructions for using voice/microphones were super too!
Remember HQ.... really.... click on the teeny tiny HQ button at the lower right of the YouTube player, else you'll be thinking you need glasses or I'm a terrible machinimatographer. OH, remember there was mucho lag. .. your life depends on it. hahahahah says HVX Silverstar

Virtual World Conferences: VWLEM 2009 Conference Planning Meeting

VLEM 2009 Conference Meeting: March 2, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

The Virtual Worlds Libraries Education & Museums Conference will be held in the virtual world of Second Life and some of the presentations will also available on the web via Adobe Connect, April 24-25, 2009.
For further information on the keynote speakers and presentations: http://www.alliancelibraries.info/virtualworlds
For the YouTube playlist of commercials created by Valibrarian, Pia Klaar and HVX Silverstar (me): http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B4809870F4C04968
The planning team is currently reading through presentation proposals on a variety of topics including:

-Virtual world events and exhibits as the drivers of attendance and engagement
-Immersive learning environments
-Reference service possibilities and practicalities in virtual worlds
-Corporate and special librarianship in virtual worlds
-Educational tools and resources
-Enterprise uses of virtual worlds
-Tours of LEM locations in Second Life
-Gaming and virtual worlds
-VW LEM opportunities for children, tweens, and teens
-Dreams and visions for LEM activities in virtual worlds
-Assessing LEM initiatives in virtual worlds
-Sustainability issues and opportunities for LEM activities in virtual worlds

Stay tuned for updates including registration times, price and orientation for speakers and attendees:

Conference Schedule (tentative):
Friday, April 24, 2009, from noon to 4:00 p.m. Second Life Time (U.S. Pacific Time):

noon to 12:45 p.m.: Keynote Panel (no conflict)
1:00 to 1:45 p.m.: First group of sessions
2:00 to 2:45 p.m.: Second group of sessions
3:00 to 3:45 p.m.: Third group of sessions
4:00 to 4:45 p.m.: Social event

Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to noon Second Life Time (U.S. Pacific Time):

8:00 to 8:45 a.m.: Keynote Panel (no conflict)
9:00 to 9:45 a.m.: First group of sessions
10:00 to 10:45 a.m.: Second group of sessions
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.: Third group of sessions

Choreography & Bovines in a virtual world

Here we are: four of us holding tight and ready for another group shot. Though, we'll need some fancy camera work to get us looking into eagle's lens.
Like a fluid roundhouse kick with the mouse moving left across the sky. Hold those smiles and think of Port Reyes Blue...

on location with Think Mapp, HVX Silverstar and the Bovines of UC Davis.... above Machinima Institute trying to make a commercial.

So who is behind the super cool animated sculpty bovines? Jon Haskall is the creator whose work can be found at:


Place: Sculpty Creations Animals
Region: Extrem Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Extrem%20Island/176/52/26Highly textured realistic low prim low cost Sculpted prim Animals from all over the world, African, Australian, American, Asian, European.
Owned by: Sculpty Creatures (group)

Annotations Editor on YouTube: annoy me no more by default

Annotations Editor on YouTube, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

I love the annotations feature but sure wish that it would not be turned ON by default.
Many people have complained and have suggested or begged that it be added as a setting in the account settings. Yes, pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassse turn it OFF by default and add, better still, add it to the account settings.
I prefer to use the old access features via the edit button | Annotations tab. This was just fine!
I would like to have a public or group annotations feature allowing people to overlay comments.. hahahah could get messy.
I'd like something like the old Mojiti that was leagues ahead of its time.
Watch video and view annotations by moving cursor over video:
HD 720p version (requires latest Flash plugin and a fast connection): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tCZkJqu7Ns&fmt=22
or High quality version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tCZkJqu7Ns&fmt=18

Video in the snow...

SnapshotMachinimaIcePalace2_010, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

Machinima Institute Ice Palace Skating Rink with video displayed across the snow mounds; Daruma Picnic's Force Sun to Midnight interactive art, sound, colour... with North Lamar, Hyacinth Cortes and HVX Silverstar skating, cycling and flying on silver bullets across the skies of the Alliance Virtual Library.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Machinima%20Institute/135/120/35

So, here's my MacBook Air on Second Life ®

macbookair_fromtheAirPreferences128draw distance, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

I'm taking some screen shots overlooking Info International Island (part of the Alliance Virtual Library) in Second Life®. The preferences screen is open showing my draw distance set at 128 meters. The recommended settings are much lower... and clicking on recommended settings will change the image significantly. I have no trouble moving around... just rather slow compared to a Mac Pro or a high end PC. However, this is equal or better to my first experiences in Second Life which were on an old Mac G4 back in October 2006. See the remaining images showing my preferences set at higher settings... some weird black boxes showing on a couple of the images. I am using Grab to get the screenshots.

I am Library: an ode to self-discovery & collective creativity in Second Life® in HD 720p

I'm slowly uploading HD versions of videos/machinima about the Alliance Virtual Library to YouTube.  Be sure to click on the 'full screen' icon at bottom right of the youtube player (square icon).
Here is the one from October 2008: 

I am Library: an ode to self-discovery & collective creativity in Second Life®
To view in full screen, follow the link to YouTube and click on the square 'full screen' icon at lower right side of youtube window.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQCoy6MABQM&fmt=22


******************************************************************************
The title proclamation needs a bit of explanation... some excerpts below
Second Life: The Journey toward Virtual World adoption
 .... In order to see the library community of Second Life in context, it is necessary to follow some of the recent Second Life milestones. The proclamation “I am Library” is an ode to self-discovery, in an individual sense; for the people who are the library communities of Second Life, it’s a journey of exploration filled with collective curiosity and creativity as the current presence of “Library” evolves within the context of the greater virtual landscape.....
I am both physical and virtual.
Imagination and creativity…
I am part of a simulated 3D environment created by its users.
Yet I am more. I am global.  I am local. 
I am Community.  I am social.
I am sharing, collaboration and learning. 
I am Library.
I am part of a trans-media journey where destination is experience.
I am the structures and open space, brought to life by the residents of the virtual world.
I am an extension of the physical world relying on broadband and accelerated graphics.
I am here.  I am real, part of the collective creativity…”

YouTube in HD: Embedding the 720p video into your blog

So, grab the embed code from YouTube and remve all excess code from the base URL for the video, beginning with the ampersand '&'
e.g: You should have something like this remaining: http://www.youtube.com/v/wGugqIb5880
Now, add the following code to the end of the URL: &ap=%2526fmt%3D22
the 22 represent the 720p
18 is for the high quality version (not HD version).
The video below is being displayed at 960x540 in order to fit it into the space. It will however display in full resolution.

Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGugqIb5880&fmt=22

Embedding the Karuna Machinma in high quality by editing the YouTube embed code...

View on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRoyYJqc_0c&fmt=18



View on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nJVF9gzqkE&fmt=18

Editing the default embed code to force the high quality version:
default URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nJVF9gzqkE
Note the URL in the embed code is different...
http://www.youtube.com/v/8nJVF9gzqkE&hl=en&fs=1
Now, remove the following code from the end of the video: &hl=en&fs=1
You will end up with this: http://www.youtube.com/v/8nJVF9gzqkE
so...

now add the following code to the URL:&ap=%2526fmt%3D18

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8nJVF9gzqkE&ap=%2526fmt%3D18"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8nJVF9gzqkE&ap=%2526fmt%3D18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Hyperlinking in YouTube with Annotations

Hyperlinking videos in YouTube: upload your video to your YouTube account and when in Edit mode, choose the 'Annotations' feature:
using the 'callout' option you can add a title and link to a related video on YouTube. Shown here are links to the MISSILL concert at the 2006 Trans Musicales Festival in Rennes, France, as well as a more recent video clip, MISSILL Solidays 2008...

Watch the video on YouTube and check out the annotations in the last 8 seconds of the video.

Annotations: Using YouTube's Pause Option ||

YouTube offers us the a similar option using callouts, highlights and capability of adding YouTube URLs to related (or unrelated!) videos. Today I noticed an additional option when in the 'annotations' window... the || Pause option. Super! I have added it to the MISSILL machinima at the very end.. a long 9.00 minutes into the video so that I could stop the video long enough for viewers to observe and hopefully click on the callout with a URL pointing to MISSILL's 2006 Trans Musicales de Rennes concert. That worked... but how about using it as a marker? Though since my pause is only for 5 or 6 seconds.. that won't work. But, you could add a message within the video using a callout pleading with the viewer to hit the pause button on the YouTube viewer and suggesting they return to the video afterwards. This really is begging for participation... I'll try it.


Viewing the 'higher quality' version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsAGc3CZBSc&fmt=18

Annotating Images in Flickr and videos on YouTube: always moving forward without a back button!

Karuna Resource Center in Second Life, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

Okay... so the annotations on Flickr images don't work outside Flickr. Hmmmm The 'Add Note' feature allows you to annotate images so that when viewers roll their cursor over the image they can view your ramblings or perhaps even useful information. It got me thinking that we could annotate real life images of our libraries in the same way... except now that I have embedded the image (here in blogger) the feature doesn't work.
I wonder if you can add URLs or SLurls (Second Life URLs) that would launch the Second Life viewer and teleport viewers to Karuna Resource Center in SL. I doubt it.. but I'll try. We can definitely add the SLurls to the image description below... I'm not sure if that gets sent in the blog post from Flickr to the user-listed blogs. I'll give it a try right after this...
OK.... so the annotations don't show up in the blog.. hmmm so you'll have to click through to Flickr to view the annotations. Testing the SLurls and URLs now... and drinking semi-warm coffee I brought in from home... thinking of walking over to Scrubs cafe here on campus to get a "real" coffee.

Embedding high quality version of YouTube videos...

Unfortunately, if you click through to YouTube on either the embedded 'normal quality' or the embedded 'high quality' of the videos, you end up on the default 'normal quality' view. So you'll need to also include the URL alongside the video that will force the 'high quality' view if the viewer wants to view on YouTube rather than embedded in your page. That includes adding the following code to the end of the default URL as shown below: &fmt=6 or &fmt=18 or &fmt=22 for the 720p HD versions.. again, this only works if the video was originally uploaded to YouTube in HD.
Cnet News has a great article on displaying the 720p HD version:

So, looking at some of the hacks around the web, such as Downloadsquad, for embedding YouTube high quality videos into third party sites... here goes...
Some Notes: Not all videos have been uploaded in higher quality, so this only works if there is already a 'high quality' link below the video.

Default normal (means LOW) quality URL on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXymVmpvK0
High Quality URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXymVmpvK0&fmt=6 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXymVmpvK0&fmt=18
Machinima title: Infolit iSchool in Second Life®

Using my example, Downloadsquad's instructions state to add the following code to the end of the URLs: &ap=%2526fmt%3D18

Unfortunately, if you click through to YouTube on any of the videos, you end up on the default 'normal quality' view. So you'll need to include the URL that will force the 'high quality' view. That includes adding the following code to the end of the default URL as shown below:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fiXymVmpvK0&ap=%2526fmt%3D18"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fiXymVmpvK0&ap=%2526fmt%3D18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


Thanks for the reminding me how to display the HTML code, Felgall


View the 'high quality' version on YouTube:
So, Here goes for embedding the 'high quality' video:


And here is the 'normal quality' default version:



Adding the following code to the end of the 'actual' URL... from the YouTube web page... don't include all the other stuff that gets tagged on when you just copy the embed code from YouTube:
&ap=%2526fmt%3D22

Using the source code from Cnet News for displaying the 720p HD version:

<object width="630" height="380">

<param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/optUdhi_Ujg&hl&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D22" name="movie" /><param value="window" name="wmode" />

<param value="true" name="allowFullScreen" /><embed width="630" height="380" wmode="window" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/optUdhi_Ujg&hl&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D22"></embed></object>

And this is the embed code taken from YouTube with the URLs edited... no more

take the default URL and add the code to it: &ap=%2526fmt%3D22

<object width="630" height="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/optUdhi_Ujg&hl&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D22"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/optUdhi_Ujg&hl&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D22" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="630" height="380"></embed></object>

Really using the widescreen feature in YouTube by forcing the 'high quality' or uploaded HD versions with &fmt=22

Using &fmt=22
Watch the high quality by adding the &fmt22 to the end of your URL!!
"Scott, we think they're teleporting in... " Here's Scott at the Second Life Community Conference , SLCC2008, about 16 minutes before the Keynote...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10VmTdSzMnQ&fmt=22
CNET article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10104182-2.html
So if you upload HD video (this one is 720p - 1280x720 pixels), just add the format information and code number indicating its format size, e.g.: 720p= &fmt=22 .



For videos that have a 'high quality' option shown on the lower right of the YouTube player, you can force the 'high quality' display by adding the following format code to the URL: &fmt=6 .
Of course, anyone can set their YouTube display to ONLY show in the higher quality view by going into the 'Account' link which is at the top right of the screen (if you are logged in). Then, look to the left side of the next window, and under the 'Overview' heading you will see 'Playback Setup'. Under the 'Video Playback Settings', select the following option:
I have a fast connection. Always play higher-quality video when it's available.
So now you can share that URL which will launch the 'high quality' version.
So herein lies the dilemma; when uploading the HD version, you leave the down-converting to the default sized flv to YouTube...
How I wish we could do both.
So, the default down-converted video clip that YouTube shows is embarrassingly pixilated. Yes, we always blame ourselves for not uploading a the HD version and leaving the work to YouTube to do automatically.
So.... it occurs to me that I should create an HD sister-account where I can just upload the HD stuff and upload video for my regular account at the high end of the YouTube spec which may be changing given the new widescreen view.
See the YouTube Handbook: Best formats for uploading.
When I get a chance this week, I'll have to take a truly short clip at 1080p to see what YouTube does with it and find the format code to display...

YouTube goes to a widescreen player on the site, leaving lots of "black space" for the classic 4|3 videos

YouTube announced yesterday that they would be moving to a 960 pixel width for their video player on the YouTube site:
http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=0i22UDAOfj8

Yesterday it was announced on their blog that they were increasing the width of the YouTube viewer to 960 pixels. This was great news to me as you can now upload even larger videos to the site.
Over the last year, YouTube's video specs have increased from 320x240 pixels and under 100 MB in comparison to the size of the more recent 640x480 pixels allowing for video files up to 1 GB, but no more than 10 minutes. These 640x480 files were ultimately displayed in the YouTube player on the site at a reduced 480x360 pixels. It was always such a shame to see your video letterboxed, cropped or squeezed to fit the viewer size. So, I am pleased with the latest news of the widescreen viewer on the page. The older 4/3 aspect ratio was a pain in the neck for anyone creating videos that were widescreen.

I was wondering what videos at the old aspect ratio of 320x240 (4|3) would look like on the now massive video player on the site:
Example No. 1: This is a 14 second machinima that is 320x240 pixels in size and was captured at 4|3 aspect ratio. This video was uploaded a couple of years ago, so a legacy YouTube example. Click on the YouTube icon to view it in the YouTube window, or follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ux0L3UQzXw



Actually, not so bad, but I have always tried to upload videos at the top end of the spec.

The YouTube blog post was a brief paragraph or so (with no supporting details or
updated specs for anyone interested in knowing whether the specs for video have been upgraded to HD720 - 1280x720 pixels).
The blog read, "And don't worry, your 4:3 aspect ratio videos will play just fine in the new player."
Well... there were 873 comments hit the page in the last 24 hours from the unconvinced and the pleasantly pleased subscribers.
The comments are a great read! Now you know where I spend my time.
I do agree with many of the comments and choice of adjectives relating to any of the legacy videos, particularly the postage-stamp sized 320x240 pixel videos, and I'll not be looking forward to viewing cell phone videos in the massive new viewer.

Example No. 2: So here is a video that I have just uploaded. It's a 320x240 video that was originally captured in widescreen, but shows the black letterboxing at the top and bottom of the screen (added by me). It was originally a widescreen video, 201 MB quicktime file (saved at the best possible quality after down-converting from a 1280x720 quicktime file). The audio (banging doors, and people in background) is awful.. apologies in advance.
You will need to click on the YouTube icon in order to view the video in the site... or follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_MXLW6K0YU



So because the file is so small (320x240) I am not being offered a 'high quality' view. That is to be expected.
None of the help pages for anyone uploading videos are easily findable.. and NONE is up to date.

You will get the best help from other users. No wonder we love to read and post comments!

Here's a search on the user help pages on 'widescreen' and nov 2008
http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/search.py?query=widescreen+nov+25+2008+Nov&ctx=en%3Asearchbox
It'a really great help community.

Just keep the video at the highest quality possible and be prepared for a lot of black space in the viewer on the YouTube site.
Users helping Users: This is pretty good but also not up to date YET.
http://www.youtube.com/user/YouTubeHelp

YouTube Handbook: this has not been updated and still contains spec for the 640x480 videos!
Wow, introducing a new service with old documentation... oh, no!
http://www.youtube.com/t/yt_handbook_home

YouTube on your Phone: (this is unrelated to the viewer):
http://www.youtube.com/mobile

More cool stuff (unrelated to YouTube though):
http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/#conversion_table

OVPC sporting the OLPC image

OVPC sporting the OLPC image, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

I am assuming that the little green raptor is racing to Amazon.com to get an OLPC X0 laptop. Give a laptop. get a laptop. change the world. http://www.amazon.com/xo
Learn more: http://www.laptop.org
and check out the raptor sporting the OLPC image... http://www.velociraptorz.org/

OLPC - One Laptop Per Child X0 X0 X0 X0 X0 X0

Raise your credit card for the Green & White OLPC... Give one, Get one!!

Raise your credit card for the Green & White OLPC... Give one, Get one!!, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

Give a laptop. get a laptop. change the world. http://www.amazon.com/xo
Learn more: http://www.laptop.org
and check out the raptor sporting the OLPC image... http://www.velociraptorz.org

OLPC - One Laptop Per Child X0 X0 X0 X0 X0 X0

One Laptop per Child XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO... OLPC laptop!

Join the One Laptop Per Child movement by participating in any way you can at: www.laptop.org
For a short period this year, Give ONE Get ONE for US $399 at www.amazon.com/xo
or Give ONE for US $199. and send a gift to foster creativity and learning to a child who may change the world...
So it's using the university's wireless, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets courtesy of Ken F. who has just sent me an email from the XO using Yahoo Classic.... super cool!

"Give a laptop, get a laptop, change the world."

London in April... forgot my avatar

IMG_0152, originally uploaded by SwansonFamily.

so i'll have to find a similar coat for my avatar and add her to the picture.

Virtual Ability Island in Second Life®: virtual world community and orientation for people with disabilities or chronic illness

Here is the last of the 3 part introduction to the orientation areas of Virtual Ability Island (VIA) in Second Life®.

Virtual Ability Orientation Tours with Gentle Heron and HVX Silverstar following along (me!):
ONE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlPD4TPNp8
TWO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVzyi0MOsJM
THREE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnyt6rASfo0
End of Part Three

Congratulations!

Where limitations are just stepping stones...
to a place with no limitations.

Virtual Ability Island... first stop...
Tour courtesy of Gentle Heron
Virtual Ability Inc.
http://www.virtualability.org
and the
Alliance Library System
Peoria, IL USA

Alliance Virtual Library blog: http://www.infoisland.org
funded by the
National Library of Medicine

Music
"Countercall"
by Jarrod Pedone ASCAP

Machinima by HVX Silverstar
Machinima Institute
in the
Info Archipelago
Alliance Virtual Library

Creative Commons Attribution
No Derivatives (by-nd)
September 2008

Filmed on location in the very beautiful Second Life®