Victor Villegas « Extension Mobile Device User Group

About Victor Villegas

Technology and Media Support Coordinator for Oregon State University Extension Service.

One of our EMDUG users recently asked whether it was possible to produce a podcast on an iPad or iPhone. Well yes, it is possible, as a matter of fact. You can use any audio recording app (there are hundreds) to record an audio podcast. There are, however, some apps which allow you to produce more professional podcasts by giving you editing, mixing and file upload options.

VR+: Voice Recorder – simple and basic. Allows you to record and append audio in a linear fashion.

Garageband – record audio and edit it, add music beds and post/upload to iTunes, Soundcloud, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

Caster: Mobile Studio – an app actually geared towards making podcasts. Allows importing audio files, recording/editing/mixing, and export via FTP, email and Twitter with more options to come including video podcasting.

Mobile Podcaster – another podcasting specific app which allows you to post directly to WordPress sites.

BossJock Studio – great little podcasting app, allows file imports and has automatic ducking (background music becomes softer when you push a button to talk).

NOTE: You can obtin a better audio recording on an iPhone by using an iRig Mic or iRig Mic Cast by IK Multimedia. On an iPad, you can connect a USB mic such as the Samson Meteor using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit.

Okay, here’s some true horror: place an iPhone 5 and a Galaxy S3 into blenders and see if they’ll blend.

NOTE: Look away now if you are squeamish about seeing tech gadgets get pulverized!

Apple has come out with a smaller iPad called the iPad Mini. It has a 7.9 inch screen, is lighter and thinner than a regular iPad. The base wi-fi only model will have 16GB capacity and priced at $329. Shipments start November 4 of this year, with the wi-fi+cellular models shipping in mid-November.

Apple has also upgraded the 3rd generation iPad with a faster processor and the same controversial Lightning connector as the iPhone 5 and are calling it the iPad with Retina display.

If you are in the market for an iPad, you now have three basic models to choose from.

Mobile devices are great. You can have access to your work email, important contacts, calendars… and so can hackers and thieves if you’re not careful. Find out how to secure your devices and protect yourself:

Is Your Mobile Device Really Secure?

Techlicious: how to track a missing smartphone

Secure Your Mobile Devices

Mobile Device Security: Internet Crime Complaint Center Issues Warning And Safety Tips

3 easy steps to a more secure iPhone or iPad

7 Tips for Keeping Your iPhone Safe & Secure

10 Awesome Apps To Protect Your Smartphone

How to improve your Android security

For those who missed the eXtension’s Critical Conversation last week, here’s the recording.

Icon by Abdussamad

During our EMDUG meeting last week we talked about using RSS to receive automatic notices of new posts from our blog when they happen. Here’s an eXtension training on RSS Feeds and Feed Readers to learn how to subscribe and follow RSS feeds using Google Reader.

The second in a series* of eXtension critical conversations.

BYOD or “bring your own device” describes the phenomenon of people using their personal technology devices in the workplace. The issues around personal smartphones and tablets in the workplace vary depending on your perspective. For users, there is a freedom and convenience to use a single device that they choose and carry to perform their work functions. For the institutional information technology staff, issues arise concerning security, support, and privacy.

Critical Conversation: BYOD – Smart phones and tablets in the workplace (60 min. session)

*See the first in the series: Critical Conversation: The Mobile Quandary

Victor Villegas prepares for first EMDUG virtual user group meeting — Victor Villegas in the studio during 1st EMDUG meeting

Thank you to all those who joined us online for our first EMDUG user group meeting via Adobe Connect on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. Here is the recording of the session for everyone who wasn’t able to make it. Please give us your comments and feedback regarding the meeting…what you liked, what we can improve, etc. We plan to have our next meeting sometime in November.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to a glitch that happened during the recording, there is a point in the presentation where the sound drops out and then comes back but is out of synch with the video. Pausing the recording and clicking slightly behind (to the left of the play head) sometimes helps in re-synching the audio with the video. We are sorry for the inconvenience and will work to obtain a better recording next time.

EMDUG User Group Meeting #0 archived recording

So now that iOS 6 is out, some of you with older devices running iOS 5 or iOS 4 might want to update. The new iPhone 5 already comes with iOS 6 installed, but the following iOS devices can be upgraded to the latest operating system software:

iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S
iPod Touch (4th & 5th generation)
iPad 2 and the new iPad (3rd generation)

Keep in mind that even though you may be able update to the latest software, some of the capabilities will be limited or not available depending on which model you have.

How to update your iPhone and iPad to iOS 6

iOS 6 features

Apple iOS 6 review by pcmag.com