Google Maps Street View offers 360° panoramic street-level views of just a few American cities but that may change soon. A fleet of Chevy Cobalts mounted with camera-ready vertical extensions were photographed recently in the parking lot of Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. The outfitted Cobalts, in addition to Google-owned VW Beetles and vans, have been spotted in Boise, Idaho; Chicago; Whitemarsh, Maryland; Southern California; Evanston, Illinois; and Redwood City, California. If Google is indeed documenting these cities, they will join Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and New York in the Street View network.

There is no official word from Google on whether these cities are actually next in line for the Street View treatment or when Street View become an embeddable application.



(Photo source: Gizmodo)

Labels: maps

A timeline is a great way to show the progress of an ongoing news story or a complex historical review. XTimeline lets users create embeddable, linkable timelines that can include text, links and images. Some great examples include Oprah's rise to fame and power, History of the AIDS Epidemic and the Pregnancy Timeline. Similarly, MIT's creation tool also creates spiffy timelines, but its "how to" requires knowledge of HTML code and is ultimately less user-friendly.

Mobile news has been in its developing stages for a while, but as phone plans get cheaper, cell phones get fancier and the iPhone becomes popular the demand for news to go is steadily increasing. Most PDAs and iPhones are capable of viewing the internet as it would appear on a computer screen. However, most news sites are not compatible with phones with smaller screens.

Ideally, there should be one site for regular viewers and another, more scaled-down version for mobile phone users (i.e. www.facebook.com and m.facebook.com). Mobile news for the average cell phone means less text, little to no images, more links and an easy to use navigation system. Think Vitamin offers detailed tips on making your site more mobile friendly. In addition, xFruits offers, among other services, an RSS to mobile feed that scales down news to its most basic format.

Labels: mobile

Mention the word Wikipedia around most newsrooms, and you're likely to gwt a look of disgust and a few rolled eyes. While the collaborative encyclopedia should not be the final destination or the end all and be all of information it does have its uses as a starting point for sources.

From Wikipedia's entry on itself:

Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization. As of July 25, 2007, Wikipedia has approximately 7.9 million articles in 253 languages, 1.91 million of which are in the English edition. This makes it the world's largest, most extensive, and fastest growing encyclopedia ever compiled. It has been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world and the vast majority of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the Internet. Steadily rising in popularity since its inception, it currently ranks among the top ten most-visited websites worldwide.

Wikipedia's users are often smart and lightning fast. The entry on Anna Nicole Smith announced her death hours before many news sites did. The Hurricane Katrina entry lists 119 sources (thanks Brady). The site also includes specialized entries not seen in any regular encyclopedia, including my favorites Capoeira in popular culture, songs about California and the now non-existent "Competing films with similar plots" (it was removed because it was biased and unverifiable).

Despite its strengths, Wikipedia does have its very well-known weaknesses. Anyone is allowed to edit the entries, though many are corrected eventually by millions of users with a keen eye. A red flag should be any entry with a shaded box with the warning "This article does not cite any references or sources." These are more likely to appear in less popular, theoretical or highly debated entries.

I confess to have edited entries I found were wrong, missing information or written poorly, but thats because the work of a journalist never ends.

Labels: wiki

One of the most exciting multimedia projects I've heard about is one person taking a picture in every seat in a stadium so readers could see the view from their seat before purchasing a ticket. I can't recall who did it, but here are similar examples from the New York Yankees and the Kansas Expocentre.

Such an undertaking requires time, dedication and a great filing system, but the payoff is rewarding. Most stadiums, arenas or theaters have a simple graphic to illustrate the seating, but including a seat-by-seat view can make any news site a destination for information about local events.

More than 59 million people (37.3 percent of all active internet users) visited newspaper websites on during the second quarter of 2007 - a record number and a 7.7 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Read more

The global online population will expand from 1.1 billion users in 2006 to 1.5 billion in 2011, according to a report from JupiterResearch. North America will boast the highest online penetration, with 76 percent by 2011. Read more

Nearly 75 percent of US internet users watched an average of 158 minutes of online video in May, with Google sites topping the monthly rankings with both the most unique video streamers and the most videos streamed, according to comScore. Read more

Labels: news on the news

Monday night's CNN/YouTube debate was a step in the right direction in involving the public in the democratic process. People from all over the country were invited to submit videos on YouTube of questions to be posed to the Democratic candidates. Although the questions were filtered, they were less rigid and staid than previous debates (especially "What don't you like about the candidate to your left?", see the answer here.) Read a recap of the debate at Slate.

The YouTube aspect seemed like sort of a novelty to the CNN reporters who advertised the debate in the days leading up to the event (one reporter asked whether she should be concerned about her job), but hopefully this widely televised interpretation of citizen journalism will inspire similar ventures by other news organizations. Be sure to catch the Republican candidates' debate Sept 17 on CNN.

Labels: citizen journalism

Many sites have vidcasts like this one from The Roanoke Times and these from lawrence.com. Even more news sites offer video online, but most times the video can only be watched on the web, at a computer.

Roanoke.com and a few other sites make the video available in the iPod-ready mp4 format, which lets the millions of iPod users to download the video to their mp3 players and watch it at a later time. This is a great alternative for users who don't want to sign up for regular podcasts.

There are tons of free or nearly free programs that convert video to the mp4 format (see this list at Download.com ). There are also several online file-conversion services like Zamzar which converts uploaded videos and sends them via e-mail.

Labels: video

When breaking news happens, it helps to have a map that points out where the incident happened. FMAtlas is one of many third-party applications that allows users to simply plot points on a Google Map and embed it in any website. In addition, the site also has wiki functionality so users can add and edit points on the map (optional). A complete tutorial on using FMAtlas after the jump:



Setting up the map

To begin, go to fmatlas.com and click "Create an account" and create a username and password. After the form is completed, a map will appear.
Before plotting points, click on "Edit Map Properties." A window will appear that offers several options including enabling user contributions, which can also be moderated, enabling wiki-style editing and moderating user contributions.

Another option is to show or hide the sidebar, which is a list of the headlines of points that are plotted on the map. Whether it is turned on or off depends totally on the project.

The next step is define the width and height of the map. By default, FMAtlas pads the map with 25 pixels. So if you want a map with a width and height of 400 x 300, you should enter 375 x 275.

You can also input values for the info window width and height. This controls the size of the balloon that pops up when a point is clicked. Ideally, these dimensions should be large enough for the window to be legible, but small enough so the window doesn't cover the entire map.

FMAtlas offers a number of icons to be used on the map. Smaller icons should be used for small maps or maps with numerous points. You can create different icons on the same map by plotting the first point(s) and then clicking "Edit Map Properties" again and changing the icon.

Another important option is "Zoom Control." The "large" option enables a slide tool to zoom in and out of the map. The small control uses + and - as controls.

Once you are done with the map settings, click save.


Plotting points

You can zoom in or out, move the map and plot points simply by clicking on the location you desire. If you are not sure where the point should be or want to add a specific address or intersection, type the location into the input box near the top of the screen. Latitude and longitude can also be plotted in this box ex: (37.874881, -122.259730)

Points can also be plotted in FMAtlas using a CSV file. To create this file, create an Excel spreadsheet that contains the addresses to be plotted. In the file menu, click "Save as..." and select CSV.

In FMAtlas, click "Bulk Upload" above the map. Give the map a name and in the second field, locate the CSV file to be uploaded. Select "Add."

FMAtlas also allows the user to search by business name, but as there are billions of businesses in the world, some with the same, this is a less reliable option. Even less reliable is the Wikipedia option which allows the user to search Wikipedia entries and plot them on the map.

Embedding the map

Periodic saving is encouraged. Give the map a name and click save near the bottom of the screen. When the map is finished, click Embed. FMAtlas offers an URL and a KML (Google Earth file) that you can link to. Most importantly, the service offers an embed code that can be placed into an HTML file.

The map can be changed and updated at any time without changing the embed code, unless the dimensions of the map are changed.

Labels: maps, wiki

Recording audio with a handheld recorder can be troublesome, especially if you are using the cheap inexpensive kind that are common in most newsrooms. There are ways to improve the quality so that you (or the person who will edit the audio) don't spend hours listening to a hissy, jumbled audio track.

Record in a quiet space

It is tempting to pull out the recorder and just push the red button, but take a minute to listen to the environment. Are there other people talking around you? Can you hear cars rumbling or the sound of small animals? Find a room that is relatively quiet and record there. If there is no room available (i.e. in an outdoor area) find a wall or barrier that blocks out the noise.

Stop talking

Most people are compelled to audibly agree with the subject, adding yeahs, rights and mm-hms that can take away from what the subject is saying. Practice non-verbal cues like nodding your head or smiling or frowning (when necessary).

Don't fumble

Nothing can ruin good audio like fumbling with the recording device, especially with a handheld recorder. This creates an intense crackling sound that makes that portion of the audio unusable. Instead, place the recorder on a table, pointed toward the subject or, if a flat surface is not readily available, use a microphone.

Use a windscreen

Wind is the biggest enemy of audio recording. To cut down on its effects, use a microphone with a windscreen (the usually black foam thing on top). If you find yourself windscreen-less, turn your body away from the direction of the wind or--if you have one--place a sock or a similar apparatus on top.

Use the program that suits you best

Everyone has an audio editing program that works best for them. Many use ProTools while others use Audacity. I find ProTools to be too cumbersome for the average user and Audacity, while free, is not very user-friendly. I highly suggest using Adobe Audition which has a simple interface that enables quick splicing and has more advanced features for audio pros (try it free for 30 days here).

What tips do you have for recording good audio?

Labels: audio

I would call Flash 8 for Dummies the Flash Bible but that already exists. Nevertheless, this title from the ...for Dummies line is the standard for anyone looking to improve their Flash skills. The book starts off with the basic steps of creating a Flash movie and gradually discusses more advanced nuances like embedded video and ActionScript. Intermediate Flash users can skip ahead a couple of chapters and not miss a beat. The book includes detailed how-tos on adding interactivity, using buttons and actions and even creating preloaders. All in all, this a go-to guide that every multimedia reporter should have handy.

Visit the ...for Dummies website to order a copy or purchase a previously owned copy here.

Labels: books, flash

Interactive panoramic images are popping up all over the web. Some of the best, like this Google Street View of Miami, give users a 360° view of a particular area. In the past this required an expensive camera or a lot of time. Now all you need is a digital camera and a little bit of patience. The following instructions will help you build a panorama similar to this interactive panorama of the WEB DuBois Centre in Ghana.

Most digital cameras have a feature that allows the photographer to line up the viewfinder to create a series of photographs that eventually become a panorama. If your camera doesn't come with this feature you can either eyeball the area and merge the images in Photoshop or use AutoStitch to create the panorama.

Once you have the final image, follow the instructions at Kirupa.com to upload the image into Flash. Add a little ActionScript and voila! Panorama!

Labels: flash, photos

From the Knight Center:

Knight Foundation has launched year two of the Knight News Challenge and plans to award as much as $5 million for innovative ideas using digital experiments to transform community news. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 15, 2007.

Do you have a big idea for building community using bits and bytes? Cell phone documentaries? New operating software for news collectors? Journalism games? Nothing is too far out to qualify. With the slogan "You Invent It. We Fund It!" the contest is open to community-minded innovators worldwide, from software designers to journalists to citizens and students of any age.

Similarly the Searle Freedom Trust is seeking applicants for grants of up to $250,000 each for the next great new media idea. From SFT:

All ideas are welcome and will receive consideration. Proposals that may hold particular interest include fellowships for bloggers who focus on government spending, tort reform, or problems in higher education; projects that encourage emerging filmmakers and video producers and help them develop their talent; and podcasting.

SFT does not make grants to individuals. Grant applicants must have a nonprofit affiliation.

YouTube, the source of all things funny and under 30 seconds, is not only a great source of entertainment but is also an easy way to reach new readers/users. Most news websites now feature some sort of video that cannot be found on any other site. Why not share that unique or interesting video with the rest of the world? Several news organizations, including the Houston Chronicle, New York Times and CBS, already use the "channels" feature of the YouTube as a vehicle for sharing their content. For those concerned with maintaining brand identity, YouTube now offers a custom video player that can be tailored to suit your design needs. The company logo can also be added to right of every video produced. Video quality on YouTube can be less polished than proprietary video players. Luckily, Crunch Gear offers tips on optimizing your video for the web.

Labels: maps, social networking, video

Google Maps recently launched its Street View component that allows users to experience 360° panoramic street-level views of Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and New York. If you're hoping to embed Street View in your site, you may have to wait awhile. Unlike the original Google maps, scraping images from Street View is prohibited by Google's terms of service. Of course a few developers figured out how to hack their way into the system, but were quickly issued cease and desist orders by Google. No word on when a Street View API will be released, but in the meantime check out this view of Times Square and the Tour de France Live Checker.

Labels: maps

UC Berkeley Journalism professor and recent Knight News Challenge grant recipient Paul Grabowicz and the students of UC Berkeley are on to something big. Their online video game, "Remembering 7th Street," is a virtual recreation of 1940s and 50s Oakland that will allow users to explore the city as it existed during the jazz and blues era. Read Grabowicz' interview with Anthony Wojtkowiak of Poynter here.

A similar project, Virtual Lower East Side, allows users to create avatars and take a virtual tour of the neighborhood. Users can chat with others, upload blog entries and upload music and photos.

Recreating a virtual city takes, well, time and a lot of research. Consider creating a virtual tour on a less grand scale such as the animated (and pixelated) Flash-based worlds of Postertronic or the even simpler Google Maps-based Virtual Tourism (check out this Google Map mashup of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Regardless of how it is done, a tour of a neighborhood or city is better enhanced by user contributions and social interaction.

Labels: maps

The favicon—the often overlooked but unmistakably integral part of any site—is to websites as a masthead is to newspapers or a bug is to tv. The tiny icon appears in the address bar of any standard browser, in tabs and in the bookmarks/favorites folder. It is a brand a visual reminder of the Web site identity. (The 10,000 words favicon is the small orange circle with the number 10). What does yours look like?

Here are some great favicons from the OC Register (Calif.) and Bravo TV, as well as a collage of great icons (source). Creating and installing a favicon is simple. Create a perfectly square image and upload it using Favicon Generator. You may have to consult with whomever controls your site template before making any changes.

Labels: site management

It's officially been 10 years since blogs have existed and its amazing to look back on the progress blogs have made within the scope of journalism. Blogs started off universally reviled as a "second-class" journalism relegated to people with too much time on their hands. Then the wave of citizen journalism came and now nearly every newspaper has a blog. Some blogs like Drudge Report are now venerated in the journalism community. So what do the next ten years hold?

My guess is media organizations will incorporate more bloggers from outside the newsroom. I love the SF Gate Tech Chronicles, the L.A. Times Homicide Blog and VH1's Best Week Ever blog, but I also appreciate local blogs like Port Orange (Fla.) Images and Metroblogging L.A. While there is still a distinction between bloggers and journalists (see evidence here ), the gap is becoming less noticeable. Q: What are some of your favorite blogs?

Labels: blogging

So your boss wants you to record a podcast or get on camera and you've got the shakes? No problem. These tips culled from personal experience and the teachings of media trainer/stand-up comic Marilyn Pittman should give you an added boost of confidence.

• Stand up
  It's amazing how much a person sounds if they are standing up rather than sitting when they talk. Sitting is like speaking from a comfort zone. Standing gives your voice more authority and personality.
  
  
• Talk to someone
  Picture a person that you are reading to: a listener, your grandmother. Pretend you are reading it to the person for the very first time. Your voice will carry the natural intonations of a conversation rather than a script.
  
  
• Mark it up
  Instead of just reading from the script, take a few minutes to indicate where you will place emphasis, pause or stop. Visual cues will help you from turning the page into a run-on sentence.
  
  
• Breathe
  The biggest mistake most speakers make is rushing through the copy. Exhale before you begin. Relish each word as you read it. Take breaths in between sentences. Don't worry, you'll be fine.

Labels: audio

Note: Facebook links require password

Facebook, once the restricted online social network for college students, opened its doors a few moths ago to anyone with an e-mail address. Recently, Facebook also extended its API to developers who have in turn created third-party applications that users can incorporate into their Facebook pages. The applications range from the useful myTV, which allows users to search YouTube from Facebook, or Daily Bible Scripture which, you guessed it, gives the user a daily Bible scripture. A cursory search shows the Daily Show and Bill O'Reilly have already jumped on the Facebook bandwagon, but there is not much in the way of media organizations.

Facebook is the 6th most popular Web 2.0 application behind #2 myspace and #1 Youtube, according to Movers 2.0. Still at more than 30 million users it contains a possible untapped source of new readers or viewers that may gravitate toward your content. Don't know where to start? Take a look at
Mashable's 30+ Awesome Applications for Facebook. Also check out the Application Developer Series which matches businesses with Facebook developers who will "see your ideas come to life."

Still not ready to take a leap? Try making a Facebook group that will allow users to subscribe to your content and get regular updates at their leisure.

Labels: social networking, widgets

A lot of conversations about new multimedia/interactive stories begin with the question "Wouldn't it be cool if?"

Yes there are a lot of cool things that newspapers, radio and tv can incorporate into their online presence. But are they really useful? Personally, I've excised the word "cool" from my work-related lingo and replaced it with "innovative." Users are better served when we can bring them new, creative, innovative ways of interactive storytelling that also advance the medium. This blog explores old standbys like Flash and Google Maps and new technologies such as widgets and social networking. It also includes tips for seasoned journalists on how to adapt to the flood of new technology. I promise, it will be very "cool."