One of the most powerful eExtension tools going is video. There are a raft of easy to use, easy to integrate video applications that make it simle for extension staff to share and receive video with landholders and stakeholders.
MobaTalk is a smoking hot new application, that like seesmic, qik, 12seconds.tv allows users to rapidly publish video to the web. Here is a test video I made today.
VideoWhat I really like about MobaTalk.
There is a lot to like about MobaTalk, here are 8 features that stand out for me.
- Integration with Twitter 1. A link to each video instantly shows up in your twitter timeline. In fact you can’t use MobaTalk if you don’t have a twitter account.
- Integration with Twitter 2. Each video is published under a hash tag, which means it will be grouped in Twitter with similarly tagged videos. This makes conversation very easy.
- Video Quality. MobaTalk has got the instant video blogging market cornered as far as video quality goes. This can be very important in eExtension if extension officers and landholders are using the video for species id, leaf analysis, or other forms of communication that require good vision.
- Integration with iTunes. Each video is instantly added to iTunes. Which means landholders or stakeholders can subscribe to your videos via your channel or to a particular #tag. E.g. I have created an #eExtension tag so anyone who creates videos under that tag will appear in my iTunes (because I have subscribed to #eExtension videos). ….Imagine if you had a macadamia extension program in Wood Duck Creek irrigation district (all very hypothetical). You could create videos under a #WoodDuckCrMac tag, have landholders respond under the same tag. Then everyone (you and landholders) could download iTunes for free and receive a stream of video about your extension program….
- Did I mention video quality.
- Should have mentioned this above it’s free!
- I did sort of mention this above, but it’s really cool. Your Twitter log in is the registration process.
- If receiving a video feed to iTunes is not your thing MobaTalk also makes it super easy to subscribe to a channel or a tag via Google feed reader or your iGoogle page.
What limitations does MobaTalk have for eExtension?
MobaTalk is currently in an Alpha Testing phase, which means it’s really too early to make any judgments about what the final product might look like. So let me start by saying, I am mighty impressed with MobaTalk so far. I think it has enormous possibilities for eExtension. However at this early stage I would say that if MobaTalk could
- make it super simple to integration with your mobile phone (especially for Australia) much like Qik,
- add geo-tagging of videos like youtube
- extend the time limit from 2 mins to 5 mins or maybe even a little bit longer
- maintain video quality
- integrate with wordpress comments like seesmic
Then MobaTalk would be a mighty fine application. I feel almost embarrassed by this wish list, because we are talking about a free product in Alpha testing. However to be superb for eExtension that’s what we need.
So I would encourage you to go to MobaTalk and try out their silky smooth product, make an #eExtension video and tell me what you think. Or leave a comment below telling me what would your perfect eExtension video application look like?
