The Creative Design Blog

Technology is advancing more and more every day. It seems like as soon as you learn about an electronic device, another with more capability comes out. Such is the case with MP3 players. When it first came out, it was the hot new thing. It was a very stylish, miniscule product that could hold gargantuan amounts of your favorite music. Of course, you can playback videos as well as listen to music with the new models. If you’re thinking about getting a video MP3 player, then you have a lot of options and you should take a few things into consideration before laying your money down.

First, you should pay attention the the video playback capabilities of the video MP3 players that you are considering. Not every MP3 player out there supports all current video types. Some can only playback flv files, while other can only support those of the wmv format. This situation is further complicated as some websites that offer downloadable videos only cater to a particular model of video MP3 player. iTunes, for instance, only offers video content exclusively for the iPod device.

You also need to know that 1 1/2 to 3 inches is as large as the video screens get. The video playback quality may be somewhat questionable and disheartening because of the small screen size. The resolution of the videos takes some adjusting to You should also avoid video playback in sunlight glares and from odd angles.

Of course, the most important factor to be taken into consideration is the cost. When compared to audio MP3 players, you’ll find that video MP3 players will cost you a bit more. This is mostly because of the fact that various models are compatible with other things, such as your TV and computer. You also need to note that the necessary connection wires are generally included with video MP3 devices.

The final thing you should consider when buying a video MP3 player, is the ability to download software upgrades for any software bundled with the video MP3 player. Downloads are of vital importance because they ensure that your device will stay current in terms of revisions in video encoding.

Although you might get overwhelmed by the variety of video MP3 players you will find on the market, the best way to choose is by thinking about your needs. What will you be using it for? Do you intend to use it frequently? It’s the questions like these that will help you make the decision.

Technology is advancing more and more every day. It changes so quickly that many consumers feel like once they learn about a new electronic device, a new one is released onto the market that is faster, smaller, more efficient, and can accomplish more tasks. This is especially the case when it comes to MP3 players. When MP3 players first appeared, it was great. MP3 players were small electronic devices where you could store lots of music and play it back at your leisure. Now, the newer generation allow for videos to be played back along with the already capable audio. If you are considering purchasing one of the many video MP3 players, there are a few things that you should know to help aid you in your decision.

The first thing to look at in MP3 hardware is the video features it has to offer. Not all video MP3 players have the ability to support all types of video files. Some can only playback flv files, while other can only support those of the wmv format. In addition, there are some sites that offer video downloads that can only play on certain models of mp3 players. For instance, iTunes only offer videos for it’s iPods.

You should also know that the size of the screens are small – they only reach 1 to 3 inches. This small screen can be rather disappointing in terms of the quality of the video playback. The resolution of the videos takes some adjusting to The screen cannot really be seen when viewed in bright sunlight and at odd angles.

Of course, the most important factor to be taken into consideration is the cost. Video MP3 players cost quite a bit more than an audio MP3 player (the main reason being is that it does more). One of the primary reasons for its price is that most of the devices will be compatible with other electronics, such as your computer and television. Video MP3 players will usually come with the cables needed to connect one device to the other.

The final thing you should consider when buying a video MP3 player, is the ability to download software upgrades for any software bundled with the video MP3 player. Downloads are of vital importance because they ensure that your device will stay current in terms of revisions in video encoding.

Although you might get overwhelmed by the variety of video MP3 players you will find on the market, the best way to choose is by thinking about your needs. What will you use it for? How often will you be using it? Asking yourself these types of questions will assist you with your decision.

Weeds has been around since August 2005. It has been an integral part of TV viewers lives and has become routine to watch their episodes for many people. The setting for weeds is out of a California Suburb. After the sudden death of Nancy Botwins husband, she decided to become the neighborhood marijuana dealer. This plot discloses some of the dirty secrets behind the doors of very prestigious and rich people in their neighborhood. Nancy tries to manage raising two boys alone. The plot of Weeds is very unique and contributes to the shows success.

Weeds is played on Showtime Network and is on Season five now. Due to the overwhelming success of the show, the producers have announced that there were will also be a season 6 aired in 2010. These seasons are planned for 13 episodes. These new episodes should explore more about Nancys everday troubles and are suppose to shed some more light on her past.

The past seasons of “Weeds” has showed us many problems that Nancy faces routinely. Some supporting characters include her brother in law Andy Botwin. He was originally asked to leave after Nancy’s husband’s death. However, he came back after she saw how his presence supported a healthy family. Another important character is Celia Hodes who is the mother of two teenage daughters.

Other characters include Nancy’s son Silas Botwin. He has been disturbed since his father’s death and as a result finds himself unable to maintain healthy relationships. His brother, Shane Botwin, is very smart. Many people consider him to be pretty weird, but he is quite normal. Doug Wilson is Nancy’s accountant with quite a sense of humor. He has a gay son as well as a charming wife and a girlfriend.

In the first season of “Weeds” we see that Nancy struggles after her husband Judah dies. She has to step up to the plate and assume responsibility as a single mother managing a household. We all can admire her bravery for doing such unconventional work and her creativity to pull it off so successfully.

The second season started off in a lighter tone. We see Nancy getting involved in more serious, underground drug trafficking scenarios. In season three started continued on the fallen drug deals of the second season finale. The drug trade gets even more serious and Nancy is becoming a bigger dealer. In season four we see the Botwin family relocate to another town and watch Nancy start drug trafficking across the border.

We all see that “Weeds” TV Show is very unconventional. The plot is very unique and absurd and this targets a wide audience. This show appeals to younger people as well as older. The show is centered around a single mom, drugs, family problems and riddled with comedy. If you dare sit down and watch Weeds you will be hooked.

Animated talking avatars, Virtual representatives and Web Characters are growing dramatically in popularity because they work! It’s no accident.

It so much easier to put over complex product and service information using the spoken word, a thirty second narration is infinitely more effective and memorable than 2 pages of text and images. it’s what the media industry calls “lean back marketing”, where the viewer or visitor just relaxes and absorbs the information. Not only does the visitor get a concise and exacting media narration but it helps your site stand out from the crowd, become more memorable.

Training and educational establishments have demonstrated and proven that compelling media content used within the delivery of information gives great results, information retention is dramatically improved and its easier for the participant to concentrate on the information being presented. When it comes down to choosing your ideal animated web character there are a number of areas you should consider.

The Avatar Look: Is your talking web characters “attractive”, or does it look as though it has fallen out of the ugly tree, is it well crafted and generally compelling, or amateurish and poorly animated. Does it suit your image … is the quality something you are comfortable associating with.

Web Compare Lip-Syncing: Does the avatar lip-sync accurately, or does it resemble a badly dubbed movie, this is critical, our brains react in micro-seconds when faced with something that doesn’t look right! Many animated talking characters have less than convincing lip-syncing to say the least. Does the virtual representatives lips stop moving when silent, does it shape the phonemes correctly or is it just a random selection of blah! blah! blah!

Virtual Character Ambient animation: Does the talking character have an ambient animation, is it subtle, or over-the-top, does it exhibit gimmicks like eyes following the mouse or strange head rotations, does it look as though it is chewing a wasp. Subtle animations are more convincing to the watcher, at the end of the day it is the content being delivered by the speaking avatar, and all animations should be kept to a minimum to avoid distraction.

Virtual Spokesperson – The Voice: Text to speech may seem convenient but it has a tendency to sound really bad. Remember! this is a virtual representative, your own animated web or media compare it is an extension of your image, unless you sound like a robot steer clear of synthesized voices. Use your own voice, or a friends, or shell out for a professional voice over artist, they are not as expensive as you think! In the future TTS will probably improve but at the present it should only be used if you have no other option.

Modifying the look of your Virtual Representative: You want your visitors and users to build a rapport with your virtual representative, so changing its looks continually does not offer continuity to the visitor,, most of us like familiarity. Having a Virtual representative that the visitor can mess with only detracts from the message your Web compare is trying to put over.

Integration and Hosting your Talking Avatar: Give a great deal of thought to this area as its rife with potential additional charges and risks. If you are on a Pay-for-view contract, a contract that charges you a monthly fee for so many streams, the risk is your growth in visitation, you end up with one of two potential problems; you have to pay more because you had a higher visitation as your site grows in popularity, or, you can’t afford to pay more, so your talking avatar disappears and leaves a block with the suppliers logo in place. The same goes for supplier hosting, you have no control over their hosting facility, if you rely on your web compare and your service suppliers servers go down you have lost your “voice”. If you own internet service goes down at least the whole site is no longer visible. Always try and use a solution that will give you total control, create your composition in your time, generate industry standard output (Flash, Flash Video or conventional Video ) and have total flexibility when it comes to integration.

Flexibility gives your choice: Is flexibility important, would it be nice to have access to the native output of your efforts in an industry standard format such as Flash, Flash Video, AVI etc so you could integrate your work into other environments such as Powerpoint, Camtasia, youTube, eBay etc. Are there any other services that can assist you from the supplier such as Voice-Overs, integration and bespoke services. Can your composition work off-line, can you create them off-line. Flexibility adds to the return on your investment.

Summary: Don’t fall into the trap of believing that by integrating any old talking web character or avatar into your page will help your cause, on the contrary, if you integrate a bad one, it could reflect dramatically on your business, it’s your future.

Education & Training the compelling way: Imagine a PowerPoint presentation, facts, figures, graphs and images and there delivering the presentation, embedded within the screen a virtual tutor, available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. CBT has a new face, virtual assistants and guides integrate seamlessly into presentation media. Many formal education and training environments from the junior and pre-school nursery to the marble corridors of the corporate giants have seen the power of compelling media delivery. Literature assignment can be delivered in context and even brain teasing science and math education can become more precise when you have the help of a virtual tutor that has the power of “voice”. Un-attended education across the web or operated locally makes virtual education delivery highly effective and manageable. We know that retention is improved, we know that “lean back” education can be effortlessly absorbed and we know that there is nothing more powerful when it comes to delivering complex ideas or facts than the spoken word. The flexibility is endless. Education creators can concentrate on the subject matter and choose the ideal Virtual Tutor to assist in the process. Virtual Teachers can be available in different forms. Technology at its best, with a face and a purpose.