Monthly Archives: March 2009

Dropbox: Sync and share files across multiple desktops

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Miriam

If you work on multiple computers, you probably need a way to get ahold of your files and documents. You could email them to yourself, put them on a USB drive, or use a file server, but it might be … Continue reading →

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Spring rejection season

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Miriam

It’s springtime! Which is great, except it’s also the season of rejections: fellowships, jobs, postdocs, conference presentations. You don’t hear about other people’s rejections, but they’re as much a part of academic life as coffee and procrastination. For all of … Continue reading →

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Technology and hyperbole

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Miriam

I’m a little creeped out by the messianic quality of a lot of talk about technology and society. Take the TED talks. Don’t they have a weird, hucksterish vibe? I love me some social networking and whatnot, but spare me … Continue reading →

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R.I.P., Mudd Library

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Miriam

Who could love a library named Mudd? Especially when the library in question looks like a bunker, has terrible lighting, and offers no good places to sit? Well, I do (or did), and I’ll tell you why.

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Clips, class, and copyrights

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Miriam

A film class needs film. Duh. Close-analysis of film clips is an important part of teaching sections, and nobody wants to mess with scanning DVD chapters to find the right clip. So most TAs I know make clip reels — … Continue reading →

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My favorite tools: Download YouTube videos with KeepVid

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Miriam

I’m always kind of scandalized when presenters connect to the Internet to show YouTube videos. I mean, if they want to risk it, fine, but why take the chance? The Internet connection could cut out, the wifi could fail, the … Continue reading →

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My favorite tools: Organize ideas with OmniOutliner

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Miriam

Ugh, the blank page. Nothing sends me spiraling into procrastination faster. OmniOutliner can’t eliminate my fear, but it does help. It’s a little hard to describe this software, because you can use it in a lot of different ways. Its … Continue reading →

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Flowgram: put interactive multimedia presentations on the Web

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Miriam

Flowgram looks like it could be an interesting tool for putting teaching materials or presentations on the Web. It allows you to build presentations using PowerPoint slides, websites, your own images and documents, and your voice or music. Once you’ve … Continue reading →

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