Archive for the 'Podcast | Videos' Category

PHP Video Tutorial: Creating your own Functions

Published on October 8, 2007 in PHP and Podcast | Videos. 0 Comments

video_tutorial

Hi,

In my continued attempts to teach web designers how to program with PHP (now an essential web design skill,) I’ve just released part 1 of 3, of my video series on creating custom functions in PHP.

We cover the very basics and learn about one of the key advantages of creating functions in php versus just write straight PHP code to your pages.

The Video: Custom PHP Functions

Part 2 and 3 will be out soon.

Thanks,

Stefan

www.killersites.com

Choosing a good web hosting company.

Published on July 4, 2007 in Business of Web Design and Podcast | Videos. 2 Comments

In the following two videos (part 1 and part 2) I go over the points to look for in a good web hosting company.

Though these videos are part of my Business of Web Design video course, the information should be useful for anyone looking to find a good hosting company.

In a nutshell:

When looking for a good web hosting company, I would strongly suggest that you make price one of the last things you consider.

… Because these days, the vast majority of hosting companies, charge about the same.

Instead, you should be looking at:

  • Features: do they support PHP, ASP or ASP.NET etc?
  • Support: how good is their tech support?

You need to find a web hosting company that have a good range of server technologies to choose from and have fast tech support.

Tip:

To test their tech support, try giving their tech support phone number (or email address,) a test to see how fast they respond.

The videos:

Removed the videos for updates.

PS: I also quickly discuss how web designers should dress when meeting clients.

Thanks,

Stefan

Video tutorial site idea22.com - public beta release.

Published on April 4, 2007 in General and Podcast | Videos. 6 Comments

We just launched idea22.com, a social networking, video sharing site that targets tutorial videos only.

What makes idea22.com different, is that we have built the system to cater to tutorial/training videos.

We are still tweaking the functionality and the UI, but I invite you to take a look:

www.idea22.com

Thanks,

Stefan

Stefan’s Killer Podcasting Tips

Published on September 30, 2006 in Podcast | Videos. 0 Comments

I’ve been recording video tutorials and podcast for a little while now (2 years) and over that time, I’ve picked up a few tricks that have really improved my podcast and made them a lot easier to create.

… Not that I’m a great podcaster, but nonetheless these tips do help.

The Killer Podcasting Tips:

1. Speak about 25% slower (when recording) than you would normally.

2. If you screw up a word while recording, be silent for about 4 seconds and repeat the sentence - edit later.

  • the pause in speaking will create tell-tail wave pattern that will make it much easier to edit later.
  • trying only to restate the messed-up word, will create a discontinuity in the flow/rhythm of the sentence. That’s why I say to repeat the sentence when you screw up a word.

3. Edit your recordings later: constantly stopping and starting while recording is slow and it interrupts the flow of your podcast.

4. Imagine you are teaching/speaking to a single person sitting beside you when creating the videos/podcast. Don’t think you are speaking to a room full of people.

5. Use a conversational / relaxed style in your podcast - don’t try to be anything but yourself. Whatever you do, don’t try to sound like a professor at school - remember how boring those classes used to be!

6. Get a good mic! I now use the Electrovoice RE20 and I’m not looking back … it makes a huge difference.

7. Get to the point quickly. People have less patience when on the Web, so try to keep it concise.

Thanks for reading,

Stefan Mischook

www.killersites.com
www.killerphp.com

Podcasting Equipment Review: Alesis MULTIMIX8USB

Published on September 26, 2006 in Podcast | Videos. 0 Comments

In my efforts to get the best possible sound for my podcast and my videos, I’ve tinkered with a few mics, mixers and other equipment needed for the job.

Before I get into the specifics regarding the Alesis MULTIMIX8USB mixer, I want to point out one universal truth: you get what you pay for.

ABOUT THE Alesis MULTIMIX8USB

Let me point out two very important points:

  1. The MULTIMIX8USB will NOT work with Windows Media Encoder.
  2. The MULTIMIX8USB will NOT work with Camtasia and (possibly) other prorgams used to capture sound or video.

.. There is a driver problem that has not been resolved by the people at Alesis. It is a known issue but the only resolution to the problem is to get their firewire based mixer - it is much more expensive.

I don’t know much else about the product since I could not get it to work with the programs I use. That said, I’ve read several mixed reviews about the product … some like it, some don’t and others get it to work partially.

Alesis phone tech support was fast and we got to the answer quick - though that meant returning the product.

MY RECOMENDATION

I hate it when people dis a product and don’t offer an alternative (kinda like the democrats in the US,) so I am suggesting an alternative to get your mic hooked into your computer:

The Mobilepre USB from M-Audio.

I’ve been using this preamp/audio interface for a while now and after fixing a small problem hooking it up with my XP machine (great phone support btw), I have never had a problem since.

My only complaint about the Mobilepre is that you really need to crank the gain to get the volume you need.

I am now about to test the M-Audio Fast Track Pro - the next generation of the Mobilepre - it’s supposed to be a bit better.

Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com