A friend shared this vid with me today because it’s outrageously funny. Take a look…

Look at the Monkey! Is this precious, or what?! The thing is, there’s a lot more to this vid than just the humor.

If you’ll watch it a couple more times after you’ve had your initial laugh, you’ll see that this vid demonstrates a handful of issues that human beings – of all ages, personalities, and persuasions – to encounter and move through on our way to developing webcam “literacy” – i.e., the ability to make good use of webcams for video mail, video conferencing, web conferencing, internet conferencing, and/or virtual meetings.

To be truly effective communicators in the 21st Century, we simply can’t afford to skip webcam literacy. No matter how young or old we are…

A new set of skills are called for when we step away from “publishing papers” online. Whether we’re pairing still webcam images with words or using moving pictures and sound to convey our messages, new kinds of “composition” formats are called for. We can’t just expect to turn our traditional 5-paragraph essays into audio scripts and throw in a few pictures for “visual aides.” That just doesn’t cut it with 21st century audiences. To give you their time and attention, your online audience expects you to acknowledge THEIR concerns and connect with them quickly, effectively, and with candor.

So, what are a few of the questions and issues people need to work through if we’re to make effective use of webcams as communication tools? Let’s make a list here, using the commenting box…

I’ll start.

1) Turning on a webcam is NOT the same thing as watching ourselves in a mirror as we record our pre-written speeches. We simply can’t help being fascinated with the way we look and how we sound as we’re using the camera (as the man was above). We’re human, after all. (Even chimps love looking at themselves in mirrors and on camera.) But, when we turn on a webcam, who or what else do we need to be paying attention to – besides what we look like and whatever it is we want someone else to see and hear?

2) What are some key differences between illustrating our words with still webcam shots (or screen grabs) … and translating our verbal scripts into a video recordings? When, how and why would you choose to use one or the other approach?

3) Your turn…

A Report From the Field

This fall, I piloted a 4-week, face-to-face, hands-on Cloud Computing course for seniors and aging Baby Boomers who aren’t yet ready to call ourselves “Seniors”

I call the course, “Up, Up and Away,” and I promise to take people who are frustrated with their desktop computing experiences from hair-pulling to happy smiles and thicker wallets in just four weeks using a cheap mobile computer and Cloud apps. The first folks who signed up were my neighbors in the Mountain Meadows Community in Ashland, Oregon. In four weeks, participants made faster strides than even I had anticipated!

I took their performance as affirmation of three things:

1) The course design is sound and provides a useful scaffold for people who want to create a whole new relationship to computing to do so in just 4 weeks
2) Seniors can and do learn new tricks a whole lot faster than people might give them credit for
3) Mobile computers and Web 2.0 Cloud apps are going to change all of our lives – not just the lives of young people!

The photos above were made on Friday the 13th when a big crowd turned out for the Mountain Meadows‘ November “Friday Forum” to hear me talk about the way I look at new opportunities for seniors who willing to invest in cheap laptops or netbooks and learn to use free Cloud apps. New online ways to engage in lifetime learning, telehealth options, telemedicine options, meaningful online community participation, inexpensive (or free) connection to family members and other caregivers – wherever they are! And so much more… My deepest thanks to Cindy Earle and Hunter Hill for the photos!

I’m just crazy about my neighbors at Mountain Meadows! They’re all so smart! And they’ve moved into this community to manage their lives in new ways while they “Age in Place.” Coming to live among them has been a life-changing experience for me, personally. As a group, they’re deeply committed both to their own lifetime learning and to maintaining healthy, active relationships with the people they care about – here and across the globe! So, over the next 6 months or more, I’m going to be taking groups of 12 of them “up in the Cloud,” using “Up, Up and Away” as the vehicle. If the first group’s success was any indication of what’s to come for Mountain Meadows, this community will soon be setting a national standard for active, senior communities using the internet, social media, and virtual meeting technologies to optimize resources for “Aging in Place.”

I’m excited about “Up, Up and Away!”! And I’m looking for opportunities to offer it locally while I also finish a train-the-trainer program so that people who would like to can offer it in your areas.

I very much want to share my introductory talk, “Computer Frustrate Me – Why Should I Care About Them?” with churches, clubs, professional groups and at professional conferences several times a month during December, January and February and on into 2010. But I don’t know how to do this without investing lots of time or money on marketing.

Got any ideas?

I promised the next thing I would share here would be the telehealth conversation I had with Kelly McCabe, former Citibank exec turned CEO of eMindful.com. But I was in too big a hurry on my way out of Ashland and left the mp3 on my Mac at home. I’m on the road this week in Boston…

However…I just ran across two fascinating slide presentations.

The first is by Dr. Yannis Pappas of the Imperial College of London. The second is by George MacGinnis of the HNS in London. Despite the fact that the telehealth/telemedicine audience that’s starting to gather here on this blog might is mostly a US-centric group, I’m guessing you’ll still find both presentations quite useful. In many regards, we here in the US are way behind our European colleagues in the march towards simple, cheap and easy telemedicine solutions. My thanks to David Doherty of 3GDoctor.com for sharing these shows at LinkedIn.

Dr Pappas’ presentation is full of solid data and elegant, simple ways to look at the multi-level challenges of transitioning from face-to-face patient care practices to virtual appointments. 

It’s true. The obstacles and challenges of moving appropriate types of healthcare online are difficult. But not impossible. Especially when you’ve got help from communication and management experts who understand both the vagaries and complexities of changing business processes and the subtleties of how human beings either build trust and respect when we communicate – or disrupt both terribly. Face-to-face and online.

I’m passionate about helping doctors and patients meet each other halfway between their computers and get more out of meeting that way than they’ll spend preparing themselves to do so from now on.

George McGinnis presentation below lays out an easily understandable visual map of how we need active, independent seniors with chronic health conditions and people being supported in assisted living facilities to connect more easily with families, caregivers, and healthcare providers using remote technologies. Again, thanks to David Doherty for sharing this show on his profile at LinkedIn.

As I’m fond of saying, this isn’t rocket science, folks. Patient groups, healthcare providers, tool makers and consolidators…It would be my great pleasure to help you move forward, regardless of what the government does or doesn’t get accomplished with regard to “healthcare reform.” Where would you like to start?

My fascinating conversation with Kelly McCabe coming next week…

It was disappointing on this netbook shopping trip not to be able to try out either of the Asus Eee PC Touchscreen tablet-style netbooks I’ve been reading about since January, 2009 (the 8.9″ Asus Eee PC T91 and the 10″ Asus Eee PC T100H).

I’m such a fan of tablets and touchscreens, particularly for seniors and aging baby boomers. But these Asus models were simply not available for me to test. You can watch a detailed video about the features available on the model T91 here.

For the last three years, I’ve used an IBM ThinkPad Tablet for mobile computing. Not that it performs well, because it doesn’t. It’s the slowest and most frustrating laptop I’ve ever used! But, I’ve gotten really spoiled using a stylus to navigate on screen. And I like being able to make handwritten notes and draw on my photos and slides using the stylus instead of a clunky mouse.

So , from the first moment I saw the interface Asus offers on the new touchscreen netbooks, I wanted one. Even if it meant having to pay a little more and even if I have to wait a bit. Here’s a vid that shows how Asus imagines users might work with the currently available T91 and the upcoming T100H Touchscreen netbooks:

What’s not to love about that interface? Especially if you’ve gotten to a stage of life when you’d rather point than type or mouse?  If you enjoy new things that shake up your thinking – and then make things easier – this interface is downright exciting!

It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But being able to use my fingers instead of a stylus or a mouse really appeals to my increasingly cramped mousing hand and tender typing fingers. I know I’ll never be able to escape typing altogether – and I’ll probably want some kind of cordless mouse sometimes – but the idea of being able to point and press – instead of point and click with a mouse – makes my mouth water…

And it’s not because I’m beginning to drool… quite yet

It could be another 6-9 months before the bigger 10″ Asus Eee PC T100H is available in the US. So if you’re ready to launch into the cloud now, and you want a touchscreen interface, you’ll be ordering the smaller Asus T91 model with the 8.9″ screen now. It’s going to run you about $499.

Microsoft VP Steve Sinofsky Shows Windows 7 on a Netbook

For me to be comfortable recommending a netbook to seniors or other ABBS (aging Baby Boomers not yet comfortable calling themselves “seniors”) a couple of features are mandatory that might not be so important to younger people. Of course, some netbook features remain negotiable, depending on how much people want to spend. But IMHO the following five things are NOT OPTIONAL for seniors:

1. 8″ or larger screen – the bigger the better, with high resolution capability
2. a close to full-sized keyboard with raised keys and close to standard spacing between the keys, the spacebar and the touchpad
3. a bright 1.3 megapixel or better webcamera with good color fidelity
4. at least one on-board microphone that captures human voices well, so you don’t HAVE TO plug in a separate microphone
5. on-board speakers capable of delivering strong volume, so you don’t HAVE TO plug in remote speakers

Why these things are not optional for seniors seems obvious to me. But talking to salesmen in electronics stores, I discovered that they weren’t necessarily top-of-mind to them.

More than other groups, seniors may have eyes, ears, and fingers that may not always work as well as they used to. These don’t have to be handicapping conditions to be annoying. And devices that make things harder will only prevent seniors from reaping the benefits netbooks have to offer.

To enjoy using netbooks, seniors need keys that have a solid but easy touch and are as large and well spaced as possible. Keyboards that are 92% of standard size, or larger, will work a lot better for seniors than tighter keyboards. The same goes for display screens. All the convenience of having an inexpensive, small, light-weight, mobile device will be wasted on seniors if the display screen is too small or not bright enough to see without struggling.

Webcam fidelity and brightness matter a lot for this group, too. And, since regular mobile communication will be one of the most important tasks for seniors using netbooks, the onboard microphone and speakers must be of good quality and offer ample volume. The last thing senior users need is to have to hunt for an external microphone, earphones and/or external speakers just to make a Skype call or to participate in other kinds of virtual meeting with family or online learning groups.

MY PERSONAL FAVES

I spent one whole day in San Francisco, going from one electronics store to another, testing every netbook I could put my hands on. (For this trip, I skipped the cheap laptops, although there are several with great promise.)  I found three netbooks I like a lot – using my criteria above – and one I see as a marginal option. Because price is another serious issue for seniors and ABBs on fixed or dwindling incomes, I restricted my search to basic models available now for under $500.

Top 3:

1. Toshiba Atom NB 205/N311. Windows XP. Island-style keyboard. 6-cell battery (3 cell is standard). 10.1″ display. Adequate camera and sound. Comes in white, pink, blue, brown. $398. Link to full stats at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-NB205-N311-10-1-Inch-Frost-Netbook/dp/B002BDUATU. Comes standard with 1GB RAM.

2. Acer Aspire One Z250. Comes loaded with VISTA (free and easy upgrade to Windows 7 later). 11.6″ display. 2GB RAM. 6-cell battery. Nice camera, speakers, and microphone. The one I tested was royal blue. $378. Link to full stats at Walmart.com: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=12024696#Specifications

3. Lenovo S10-2-G “Ideapad”. Windows XP. 10.2″ screen. Comes either with 1GB ($349) or 2GB RAM ($364). 3-cell battery. Nice camera quality and excellent speaker. Link to full stats at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Ideapad-S10-1311UW-10-2-Inch-Netbook/dp/B001TLVSZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1251127987&sr=8-1

Marginal:

1. HP Mini 1050NR. Windows XP. 10.1″ screen. 6-cell battery. 1GM RAM. Adequate camera but onboard microphone and speakers aren’t really up to par for seniors who want to use them for free video conferencing without having to plug in peripherals. $435. Link to full stats at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BH4NFS

Tomorrow: Why You Might Consider Holding Out for an Asus Eee PC Touchscreen Netbook, Models T91 or T100H – And Paying More Than $500 For It

Regular readers of this blog know I’m not a thirty-something. In fact, I’m almost sixty-something, an ABB (aging Baby Boomer) who’s been online teaching and learning with people around the globe since before we had graphic browsers. A hundred thousand hours of typing and mousing have earned me the arthritis showing up in my hands…

What you may not know is that this spring I moved the World Headquarters for “The Virtual Meeting Coach” to Mountain Meadows, an active senior community in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. The move was not planned, and I’m not retired. But coming to Mountain Meadows has turned out to be just as powerful a next step for me as it was for my neighbors who planned their retirement here.

I’m surrounded by beauty and some of the smartest people living in the Rogue Valley, ages 55 to 104. Some are retired. Some continue working. All of us enjoy meals in our fabulous clubhouse, the warmth and companionship of our community garden, an onsite fitness center, and the comfort and stimulation of each others’ humor, curiosity, and lifetimes of experience. I’ve been telling friends I fell through the looking glass into a world I never imagined could be so much fun.

Within the first week of my arrival, I hooked up with the computer users group, shepherded by Chris Menefee, a brilliant, generous retired librarian and active senior technology advocate. Chris had been leading the group’s exploration of social networking sites and begun working with Ning to setup a private site for Mountain Meadows residents. With a little more coaching from me from the wings, Chris launched the network within the month and residents began signing up for it by the dozens. At the same time, I started offering some informal group computer coaching for residents having trouble using their computers.

Like flowers just waiting for water, one resident after another has raised their heads – and their hands – asking for help crossing over the great “digital divide” into the 21st century. Bob Griffin, chairman of the activities and events committee of the Mountain Meadows Owners’ Association authorized my “cloud computing initiative” for interested residents. And, beginning in September, it’s our shared hope that over the coming year, we will grow a garden of elders who  feel confident and comfortable computing anytime and from anywhere they can get on a WI-FI connection.

I’m calling the first step of this cloud computing initiative, “Up, Up and Away: Elders Everywhere and Especially Online!” Participants who don’t already have a laptop or netbook have been shopping for them this summer so they can take advantage of all the FREE Web2.0 apps available in the cloud and the clubhouse Wi-Fi internet connection I’ll be using for their classes. Championed by the intrepid online shopper, Annette Pirie, dozens of Mountain Meadows residents have been shopping – both locally and online – collecting stats, features, and best prices for netbooks and cheap laptops, and sharing their research with each other in the community Ning. I’m so proud of them all I can’t quit grinning!

I promised folks I would put my own arthritic fingers on as many netbooks as I could find during a recent business trip to San Francisco and post my research and my recommendations into the Ning before September 1st.  As I started writing up my notes this weekend, it dawned on me it made good sense to share my experiences here, too. (Duh!)

So, tomorrow’s post will feature my brief notes and recommendations for currently available netbooks that I expect will perform well for Seniors and ABBs (Aging Baby Boomers who don’t yet want to call themselves “Seniors”) who are seeking an easy, cheap route to cloud computing.