Overview

Key Features

1) FeedJournal

• Reader and Publisher

  FeedJournal offers two choices to aggregate your news sources.
  1. If you want to have your list of RSS feeds turned into a newspaper to consult them more easily, Reader is the one that you need. Provide a valid email address, register, add your feed, and you\'re ready to go.
  2. But if you are a blogger, and you\'d like to share the news you gathered, or you want to have greater control over the customization of your newspaper, you may want to consider switching to a more complete solution like Publisher. Publisher comes in two versions: one free of charge with limited features, and a second one, with enhanced customization possibilities, priced at $49 (apx. €38) per month.
  
  

• Feed Supported

  FeedJournal supports both RSS (1.0 and 2.0) and Atom feeds.



• Customize Your Newspaper

  You can customize the aspect of your newspaper by adjusting some layout options:
  • Column Count: Number of text columns you can have in your newspaper.
  • Page Size: The default size of the paper.
  • Margin: Amount of white space which separates the text from the border of the page.
  • Justified Columns: If checked text columns are justified, otherwise the text will be indented.
  • Language: Set of characters used in the text of the newspaper (still in beta testing).



• Available List of Feeds

  Choose from the RSS feed list of feeds available (subdivided in categories), or add a feed URL to start creating content for your newspaper.



• Share Your Newspaper

  FeedJournal Publisher allows you to embed a small piece of code inside your blog site to share your personal selection of news. Here is the complete list of social sites available, as specified on Feed Journal site:
  • Facebook
  • Bebo
  • Blogger
  • Typepad
  • Pageflakes
  • Netvibes
  • iGoogle
  • Piczo
  You can also use a customized widget provided by Widgetbox, or provide your users with a direct link to your PDF newspaper.

2) Tabbloid

• Start Immediately

  Tabbloid does not require any login nor registration. You can immediately start to add RSS feeds and generate your newspaper right away.



• Subscriptions List

  Add the RSS feed you want to turn into a newspaper, or choose from a list of available categories. You can provide as many feeds as you want.



• Scheduled Delivery

  If you prefer, you can set Tabbloid to delivery your newspaper directly to your mailbox at a specific time. Just set date and time, and provide a valid e-mail address.

How To Use FeedJournal and Tabbloid

1) FeedJournal

Reader

FeedJournal Reader generates a personal newspaper with a list of customized RSS or Atom feeds you submit. The service is free to use, but requires a registration process. Here\'s the procedure to follow: 1) Register for a free account. You will be asked to choose a nickname, a password, and a valid e-mail address. 2) Add some personal information that will appear on your customized newspaper. 3) Customize the layout of your newspaper. 3) Pick a feed from those included in the default list, or add your own. 4) (Optional) Select the feeds of your choice, and specify for each one which articles you want inside your newspaper. 5) Generate your newspaper and enjoy!.

Publisher

FeedJournal Publisher turns your RSS feeds into a branded and personalized selection of news that you can embed (via Widgetbox or other services like Issuu), or share with a direct download link on your blog site. Here\'s how: 1) Type the email address where you want to receive your newspaper. 2) Choose the feed to turn into a newspaper. The content of the feed must be owned by you. 3) Generate your newspaper and have it sent to your mailbox. 4) Check your mailbox, and find the email from FeedJournal. Your newspaper is in the attachment. Enjoy!

2) Tabbloid

Summary Review

1) FeedJournal - Key Strengths

• Two different solutions for:
  • Individual users: FeedJournal Reader (Free).
  • Business users: FeedJournal Publisher (Free or $49/month).
• Highly customizable newspaper layout.
• No limit to the number of feeds you can add to every issue.
• Both RSS and Atom feed formats are supported.
• Forum and FAQ sections to receive help.
• Guide-newspaper with detailed instructions available.

Areas For Improvement

• No scheduled email delivery available.
• In FeedJournal Publisher your e-mail address should belong to an email provider (e.g. you cannot use your company one).
• Basic plan of FeedJournal Publisher has very few features.

2) Tabbloid - Key Strengths

• Simple and extremely easy-to-use interface.
• No limit to the number of feeds you can add to every issue of a newspaper.
• No login, or registration required.
• Highly customizable scheduled delivery via email.

Areas For Improvement

• Newspaper layout is not customizable.
• Atom feeds are not supported.
• No FAQ or forum section to receive support.

Additional Resources

FeedJournal

• FeedJournal Site
• FeedJournal Reader
• FeedJournal Publisher
• Forum
• Support
• About FeedJournal

Tabbloid

• Tabbloid site
• Tabbloid blog

Other Resources

• Issuu - a web-based service to embed your virtual newspaper inside your blog site
• FeedJournal Widget on WidgetBox
• Adobe Reader

eLearning Resources and News

Connectivism: Networked Learner

Definition of Emerging Technologies for Learning

• Eduinnovation: "Those technologies that allow learners to connect, collaborate, and create with other learners, mind-to-mind, anywhere & anytime"
• prawsthorne: "an innovation that captures attention, engages and deepens learning so the learner/teacher can self-measure the improvement."
• MarkMilliron: "any technology YOU don't quite understand that you've heard might improve teaching and learning"
• UNMVCTLC: "using technology TOOLS to improve the learning process while enhancing the instructional environment" and "using those tools that are not fully explored to reach new frontiers in methodology, experiences and concepts"
• jdwilliams: "I think emerging (web) technologies are just sites/apps my district hasn't found to block (yet)"
• Darren Draper: "Emerging technologies for teaching and learning consist of all hardware, software, concepts, and ideas that can be employed to advance social, connective, and educational processes"
• davecormier: "usually defined as - stuff George likes - I believe"
• bengrey: "A body of knowledge or innovation not yet widely adapted or fully actualized which holds educational implications"
• StonyRiver: "New Direction Learning Technologies"

Social Computing

Visualizing Data

Microsoft's Personal Reboot: Web-Centric, But Beyond "The Cloud"

"Cloud computing may be trendy, but Ozzie says MSFT's best course moving forward is a hybrid desktop/Web-based strategy… future success hinges on new products that win over the masses instantly."

Education Needs to Be Pulled Into The 21st Century

"In an increasingly complex and competitive world, teachers must understand technology and connect coursework to the global economy, curricula should eliminate less relevant material and incorporate modern skills such as global awareness, technology and media literacy, and standardized tests must include these new subjects".

Systems for Supportive Open Teaching

"I think it more valuable to think about how openness changes the basic praxis of teaching from an essentially individual activity to a shared activity."

Online Learning Requirements

"To expand access, increase technology skills, provide exciting and inspiring course content, and maximize efficiency and use of taxpayer resources, Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees Chair David Olson today announced a goal to have 25 percent of all MnSCU credits earned through online courses by 2015."

Google's Experimenting With New Search Features

• Some hate it.
• Others question it.
• Others love it.

"take down all formalities, institutionalized attitudes and speak in your natural true voice. Say what you think, be spontaneous, don\'t hold back, make mistakes but be real. Just like you are when in the midst of your best and closest friends".

Interns Interview Each Other - Andre Deutmeyer Under The Spotlight

Intro

Daniele Bazzano: Hello everyone, my name is Daniele Bazzano and I\'m intern at MasterNewMedia. I\'m here with my friend and colleague Andre Deutmeyer who\'s connecting live with us from Seoul, South Korea. Hi, Andre, how are you doing?
Andre Deutmeyer: Hey Dani, how are you? Daniele Bazzano: I\'m doing great thank you.

Why Andre Joined MasterNewMedia

Daniele Bazzano: Andre, I want to chat a little bit with you about your internship experience here, about MasterNewMedia. Just tell me, how did it all start? Andre Deutmeyer: Dani, to tell you the truth, the way I got started with MasterNewMedia was a few months back. I think it\'s about three months now. Three months ago I was looking for something new to do. The reason for that is that my job here in Seoul is... I\'m an English teacher here. It gives me quite a bit of free time on the side to pursuit some of the things that I enjoy, some of the things that I cannot really want to do. One of the things that interested me is web publishing, online technology and more. About three months back I was reading blogs and as I was going through some of that stuff I saw a link to Robin Good\'s MasterNewMedia page and he was saying that he was looking for interns. I read it and I thought: "wow, this is interesting, this is something that might be really good for me". I thought about it for a while, and then about a week or two later, I think I read your post Dani. After reading that post I was like: "this sounds really good. This sounds like something that I really want to do". So, I wanted to head to that point. I sent Robin Good an email, and then he called me. We chatted a little bit, and the rest is history. Now here I am!
Daniele Bazzano: That\'s great! So, I was the one who introduced you to MasterNewMedia... That\'s cool man!

Finding The Time

Daniele Bazzano: Andre, you said you\'re an English teacher. How do you manage to find the time to stay with your friends, your girlfriend, work, and at the same time do this internship at MasterNewMedia, which many times can be very time-consuming? Andre Deutmeyer: That\'s really a good question Dani. A lot of times I\'m actually wondering how I can stick with it myself. I think the biggest thing for me, the reason I stick with this internship, to MasterNewMedia, is this is what I really want to do. Teaching is fun, I enjoy it, but I personally don\'t want to go into education as a teacher. I don\'t think that\'s where my future lies. I think something like independent web publishing is what I would like to do in the future. That\'s the reason I kind of stick with this. As far as finding the time goes, it\'s just like anything else in life. If you want to do it, then you have to make time for it. I make sacrifices in other areas: personal life being, the biggest one. I still have to work my job because it pays me, and pays the bills and stuff. But lots of times now when I spend time with my girlfriend, it would be doing something productive together. I\'ll be working on an article, perhaps she will be studying or doing internship applications of her own. That\'s kind of where we get to spend time together now. And every once in a while, I do save time for myself. I still go out, watch the occasional movie, I actually watched... what was the last movie? It doesn\'t really matter, but I do have time to go out and do things, have dinner with my girlfriend, go to movies. It\'s just I have to be a little more careful now with how I spend my time.

Pros and Cons About The Internship

Daniele Bazzano: That\'s great Andre, thank you for sharing your experience here! But now, let\'s get this straight: just tell me three pros and three cons about your internship experience here. Straight, just don\'t think about it. Andre Deutmeyer: Oh yeah, that\'s a harder question than you might think. Let\'s go with the three pros, because I think that\'s a lot easier.

1. Like I\'ve already said, first thing is the opportunities available here. I\'m learning a lot of stuff and I\'m learning a lot of stuff that interests me, which is one big pro why I\'m here.
2. The second one is the people. I love the atmosphere, I like how white and black it can be. There\'s very few places in the world where I can wear a beanie to work, and that\'s great for me. Robin, Dani, and all the people working at MasterNewMedia, are all great people.
3. As for the third reason, it can provide a future for me. This is something where I can be my own boss, in the future, and that\'s really kind of what attracts me to MasterNewMedia, and what I\'m doing right now.

As far as the cons, that\'s a little bit more difficult... three cons? Honestly I can only really think of one off the top of my head, and that\'s the whole sacrificing all those things that I used to do: going out and going to karaoke until 6am, or drinking at the local pub with my friends. I\'ve given up those things, and that\'s the real con. I\'m not going to play down and act like it is not a bad sacrifice, because I think it is a sacrifice. But it\'s one that I\'m going to make. I hope that answers your question. The other two cons, I\'d just give you that back later on Dani.

Andre\'s Advices For Future Interns

Daniele Bazzano: Sounds great Andre, you really answered my questions, there was no need to go to the other two cons. I think this internship is a difficult path that you are walking, but it\'s definitely something that you would advise to someone else who wants to become a publisher. What are your advices to them? What would you advise? Andre Deutmeyer: For others who are interested in this internship I would say that you have to be willing to... you have to know in your mind, and right in your heart, this is something nice you want to do. There\'s no one telling you that you have to come to work everyday. This is a choice that you make. You have to know in your heart that this is what you want to do. Especially in my position where I have another job, it\'s even more necessary to realize that this is something you want to do, this is something that\'s important, and something that you want to learn how to do. You get to really decide before you start, before you jump into this, that this is something that you see yourself doing in the future, being a productive relationship for you in the future. Once you\'ve made that decision, I think the internship would go smoothly. You\'ll have some difficulties, you\'ll be learning a lot of new stuff, you\'ll be making some mistakes, but overall as long as you have that idea in mind: "this is what I want to do, and I want to to stick with it, no matter the obstacles that face me, no matter the problems I encounter, I\'m going to stick with it". If you have that attitude, I don\'t see how you can fail, this would be a great opportunity for you to learn something new. And on top of that, Robin is flexible. He\'s a nice guy, he understands that you can have all the commitments in your life. You just have to tell him, you have to work with him, work things out, and that sense is great. I really can\'t ask for a better mentor internship.
Daniele Bazzano: That was great Andre. Thank you very much for sharing your experience and it\'s been a real pleasure talking to you. I\'ll chat with you later, or we\'ll prepare another article together! Ciao! Andre Deutmeyer: I had a great time Dani. Thank you very much for having me, see you later man!

a) Use big ads. b) Integrate your ads with the layout of your site. c) Place your ads where users are more likely to see them.

Optimisation Essentials (Part I - II - III)

Bigger Is Better - for AdSense Ad Units

Publishers often ask us what the best ad sizes are to include in their site\'s design, and we always point them to these three:

• 300x250 medium rectangle
• 728x90 leaderboard
• 160x600 skyscraper

These ad units have proven in the past to deliver better results for both publishers and advertisers. Advertisers favour these formats, and if you\'ve receiving all ad types, you\'ll find that advertisers will specifically target your sites more often. If you position your ad units well, users will be more likely to see these ad formats and find an ad that they\'re interested in. When you\'re considering how to design your site, our testing has shown that displaying at least one of these ad formats on your page can increase your AdSense earnings potential. So remember, sometimes bigger is better!

Dress for Success - Impressing Your Audience

Over the years, we\'ve seen some colorful ad unit designs. Some publishers design ad units that contrast with their site so that they stand out. Although this can work in some cases, we\'ve found that ad units that match your site\'s design tend to perform better in terms of revenue and click-through-rate. Users are more likely to read ads when they\'re well integrated into your site. When you design your AdSense ads, keep these tips in mind:

• Use colours that either blend with or complement your site\'s colours. Make the ads a part of your site.
• Use lighter colours for borders, or no border at all.
• Try rotating colours or occasionally switching the location of your ads on the page.
• Save sets of frequently-used colours as a palette.

So give your ad design and colours some thought, and you\'ll notice the difference!

Position for Performance - Be Noticed

We\'ve also made a heatmap to show you where the best placements are on a typical page. Great positions include:

• Above the fold of a page (the section of the page a user can see without scrolling)
• At the end of an article
• Aligned with content

But don\'t just take our word for it - every website is different. Make sure you use your judgment of how visitors interact with your pages to determine good ad placements. Position your ads so that they\'re visible, but be careful of intruding on the experience of your site\'s visitors. Most of all, think like a user and you\'ll be able to balance your website\'s content with a successful ad strategy.

Where Should I Place Google Ads On My Pages?

• What is the user trying to accomplish by visiting my site?
• What do they do when viewing a particular page?
• Where is their attention likely to be focused?
• How can I integrate ads into this area without getting in the users\' way?
• How can I keep the page looking clean, uncluttered and inviting?