How to create 3D YouTube videos

3D VIDEOS: How to create them for YouTube

YouTube has a clever new feature which creates red/blue 3D videos. To create one yourself you’ll need a pair camcorders (preferably identical ones), some video editing software (Movie Maker 2 should suffice) and some 3D glasses to watch the results. You can easily make a home-made pair of 3D glasses if you don’t own a pair already (see link below). Here’s how to make the video:

1. Set up a scene to be recorded on the two cameras simultaneously. You need to arrange the cameras like a pair of perfectly level eyes. Any difference in angle will reduce the 3D effect.
2. Sync the resulting footage using your video editing program by placing the two shots side by side in the same frame. The ‘left-eye’ camera shot should go on the right-hand side and vice-versa.
3. When you upload the video to YouTube, add the tag “yt3d:enable=true”. If it’s in widescreen you need to add “yt3d:aspect=16:9”.
4. YouTube will then analyse the video and create a composite of both sides. When viewed with your 3D specs the video should jump out at you in full 3D greatness.

And that’s all there is to it! If you struggle to create your own 3D productions here’s a list of 3D videos currently available on YouTube.

Related post: How to make 3D glasses

How to make 3D glasses

3D GLASSES: A step by step guide to making your very own pair

Unfortunately 3D specs don’t come cheap. I managed to find an entry level pair in the UK for R214. These do the job but don’t always offer the best results for your money. Far better to make a cheap pair for free! Here’s how to do it.

1. You’ll need some cardboard, some red and blue “gels” or cellophane (this is usually available at art and photography shops), a ruler, some scissors, a scalpel (or card cutting device) and a few blobs of glue (preferably contact).
2. For the frames, fold the card in half and cut a rectangle as wide as your head. This should also be twice as deep as your eyes. When that’s sufficiently sliced, create some appropriately-sized eyeholes.
3. Cut each gel into a square slightly larger than the eyeholes. You’ll also need to cut two long trips of card (about 2cm wide) for the frame’s arms.
4. Open up the frames and glue the lenses on the inside – with the red lens on the right and the blue over the left eyehole. Glue about 1cm of each arm on the sides and seal like a sandwich.
5. Fold and trim the arms and carve suitable shapes for your eyes and nose.
6. Start watching 3D videos! Here’s a list of 3D YouTube videos.

Related post: How to create 3D YouTube videos

How to tweet like a pro

TWITTER: Tips towards becoming influential in the Twitterati

Don’t lock your profile
To be ‘successful’ on Twitter you’ll need followers. Open your profile to all and pimp your background using websites such as twitrounds.com. Try to make things as witty and visually-appealing as possible.

Don’t go follow-crazy
Try to follow the same number of people that are following you. You may appear needy or desperate if you are following 1000 people yet only a handful are following you. Start by following an easily-manageable number, read what others are Tweeting and try get involved.

Follow influential Twitterers
By following high-flying Twitterers you’ll increase your potential audience to millions. Check who those at the top follow and consider whether or not they are worth following yourself.

Maximise your usage
Use Twitter apps such as Twhirl to make Tweeting as effortless as possible. Tweet on the move too using your phone and simple phone apps for Twitter.

Tweet the good stuff
Make your own content as interesting or as fun as possible and also retweet any good stuff you come across. Copy and paste good tweets with “RT@username” in front. Others will return the favour and this will help get your name get out there.

Pimp your content
Embed urls, images, music and video to sex up your Tweets. Try using Twitpic for easy image uploading from PC or phones. Twiddeo will let you do the same for video and Tweetcube will let you send files – including MP3s.

Use a recommendation service
Mr Tweet is a Twitter tool that will analyse your profile and recommend Twitterers you should consider following (as well as recommend you to other users). It supposedly creates a personalised list of peeps based on who your Twitter friends are and what you tweet about.

And that’s all you need to know to become a Twitter master!

This article was adapted from the December issue of Stuff

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The Awakening

POETRY: Inspirational words from The Awakening poem

This poem got me through a very bleak time in my life (last week when I had flu and was feeling rather miserable). Just when I thought life had no meaning anymore my dear mother send me this poem to cheer me up. It really is an inspirational piece so I thought I share some of its wise words with you.

The Awakening by Sonny Carrol

THERE comes a time in your life when you finally get it … When, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out “ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on.” Then, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside and you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are, and that’s okay. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself, and in the process a sense of new-found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and take care of yourself, and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties… and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin to discover that the world is much larger than where you live, and you rediscover your curiosity and embrace adventurous exploration. You open up your mind, begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with. You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a consumer looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say no.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise. You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s okay to ask for help.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people, and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people on earth can only dream about: a complete family, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

You begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. You make a mental note not to defer your life any longer – only living it after you graduate, after you get that flashy new car, or after you make your millions as an investment banker. If you are passionate enough, you can do what you love for the rest of your life, right here, right now.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, to keep learning, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

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Valentines Lore and Legend

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VALENTINES DAY: lore and legend behind Valentines

Lupercus - slayer of wolves

VALENTINE’S Day is thought to have evolved from a spring holiday celebrated in ancient Rome. The feast of Lupercalia was actually celebrated on February 15 and honoured the god Lupercus, who protected the people and their herds from wolves.

On this day, dances were held for single young men and women. A man would draw his partner’s name from a piece of papyrus placed in a bowl. The man not only danced with his partner but was also obligated to protect her throughout the new year, which began in March.

In many cases, the partners became sweethearts and were soon married. When the tradition of these dances was later revived in the Middle Ages, a man would wear his sweetheart’s name on his sleeve. Even today we refer to someone who is quick to show their feeling as “wearing his heart on his sleeve.”

Why it’s called Valentines Day
Valentine’s Day most likely received its name and date from Valentinus, a Roman priest who was beheaded on February 14 in the third century A.D. At that time, Emperor Claudius II banned all weddings and engagements, believing that newly married men made poor Roman soldiers. Valentinus defied the emperor by performing secret marriages and has since been regarded as the patron saint of lovers.

When Valentinus was imprisoned for refusing to worship pagan gods, children made bouquets, tied on love notes, and tossed them through the prison bars. Valentine then prayed for a miracle, hoping that God would restore the sight of the jailer’s blind daughter.

The Emperor Claudius became enraged when the miracle occurred and both the jailer and his daughter converted to Christianity. Condemned to die, the priest sent the young girl a farewell message signed simply, “from your Valentine.”

Valentine’s Day messages
Over time, love notes sent to sweethearts on February 14 became known as valentines – as did those who sent them. Paper valentines differed from those of today in that most were printed without messages, leaving the 18th-century lover to pen his own sentiment. Paper valentines became popular in the 18thC.

Before commercial printers created the colorful heirlooms we now have from Victorian times, people created their own valentines from paper scraps. In the 19th-century a lady would trace the outline of her hand, than add a paper heart in the center as a symbol of her affection for the recipient.

Valentine’s Day gifts
Many girls of the same period made watch papers for their sweethearts. Cut from pretty paper, silk or satin, these small circles replaced the ordinary papers that kept the dust out of pocket watches. The circles were painted or embroidered with hearts, the lovers’ initials, or a special motto - and quickly became popular Valentine’s Day gifts.

Through the years it has been said that a girl could dream of her future husband on St. Valentine’s Eve by sleeping with four bay leaves pinned to the corners of her pillow. Sleeping with any of the following under your pillow could bring dreams of one’s true love:

• A silver spoon
• A small ladder made of sticks
• A love knot fashioned from wood shavings
• Three pebbles gathered from a place newly visited, or
• A bit of wedding cake that had been passed through a gold ring 3 times.

A woman should count the first nine stars she sees during nine consecutive nights. The first eligible man she sees the next day would supposedly become her husband – if she so desires. Legend holds that a young girl could see the face of her future husband by peering at the moon on St. Valentine’s Eve. For a time many believed this face was “the man in the moon.”

Happy Valentine’s Day

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The history and origin of Santa Claus

Historical truths behind English sayings