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Changing It is amazing to think it's already time to write my last column of the semester. I bet many of your heads are already filled with visions of all the cool techie presents you want for Christmas (I know mine is). In the meantime, I thought I would profile two technologies that, nrp Vielninff to chancre the wav we communicate. MediaLink If you wanted to create a multimedia lesson or presentation, would you know how to do it? More importantly, would you have the money and time to purchase and learn the software programs needed for the task? For most of us, the answer to both of those questions is probably no, but an innovative multimedia authoring program has been developed by the Instructional Software Development and Support group of USC Computer Services that is going to change that. Get ready for MediaLink. The premise of MediaLink is simple: Bring the ability to create multimedia presentations and lessons to the masses. waiti Irntv Wm$mi Department of An Affirn The program works by allowing presentation authors to link text, graphic, sound and movie files together in a "drag and drop" fashion. Want to link a graphic to a sentence of text? All you have to do is highlight the text area and "drop" the graphic file on top. The graphic can then be summoned just by clicking in the link area. It's that easy. MediaLink's ease of use isn't its only advantage. The program can be obtained for free and, for USC faculty, staff and students, classes to learn how to use it are free as well. To top it all off, MediaLink is small. The Macintosh version of the program can fit on one high-density floppy disk. A Windows version will be released next year. To give you an idea of MediaLink's potential, it has already been featured in The New York Times. (Although, Fm sure being featured in Technobabble is much more exciting for the program's nnfhnra ^ UUHUVAU./ In addition, MediaLink has been used by USC students in an honors English class to illustrate the detective THE The i ) commui fiction works of Raymond Chandler with text, graphics, movies and sound. From what I have seen of MediaLink, I think it offers great potential to bring basic multimedia authoring to the rest of us. Medial-ink's authors have made the Macintsoh beta software freely available via the World Wide Web at http://ppc.csd.sc.edu/medialink/. Those without web access who would like a Mac beta copy can bring a high-density floppy disk to the third floor of the uompuuer oerviues j_uviaiuii uu uic tuura of Blossom and Sumter streets. For more information about MediaLink, send e-mail to medialink@spider.csd.sc.edu or call 7776015. The Palace I must admit the idea of online chat has never held much interest for me. rrniiiino A DDI C f giunnuunvu**. Marc LaFountain Fve been on America Online and Internet Relay Chat. I have even had a few good online conversations. In the end, however, the black and white text just feels too distant and cold for me to really have the interaction I enjoy in a real life conversation. Now, Time Warner has put a new face on online chat?a new smiley face to be exact In feet, a smiley face is what you are in the company's new online chat offering, The Palace. Everyone who visits a Palace server is represented by an icon, such as the smiley faces used by unregistered users. All users can choose from numerous props, such as glasses and hats, to help give them personality online. Users WAIT IS O event you hove ng for is finally (SEE VAiti mampcis l^ecreation Student Life/Divison c iative Action/Equal Opporfunil nication move from room to virtual room, talking and thinking with cartoonish bubbles, playing chess and checkers and making a variety of sounds. (One of the sounds is called "Wind." Fll give you one guess what it sounds like, and it ain't Mother Nature). Hie virtual rooms approximate reality much better than the imaginary ones of older online chat schemes. Users move their icons against detailed graphic backgrounds made to represent bars, game rooms, beaches, spas, libraries, you name it. Users who pay a $20 registeration fee get all sorts of added bonuses, such as customizable icons and names, access to special private rooms, and the ability to create a Palace server of their own. Even more impressive, Palace servers can operate dynamically. If you want to run a server, you don't have to keep set hours. When a Palace server goes online anywhere on the Internet. Palace users can immediately see it and visit if they wish. Since it only costs $20 to own a server, expect to see servers flourish in the near future as hobbyists take them online. Palace software requires full Internet access and can be downloaded free of charge in Macintosh, PC and UNIX formats. Point your World Wide Web browser to http://www.thepalace.com for more information. A reminder As I said in last week's column, your e-mail can build up when you are away. If you won't be checking e-mail over the hoidays, make arranagements to place holds on or unsubscribe from busy mailing lists. It will keep you from facing clutter and memory problems when you return. Have a great break! ?' r_Ei ; iviurc liur uuuiuun, u juui huhjhi senior, can be e-mailed at lafountainmarT@sc.edu. To subscribe to an electronic version of this column, send e-mail to listsen@univscvm.csd.sc.edu with SUB T-BABBLE YourFirstName YourLastName" in the body of the i message. i VER! I been here. MfH mhB I * f i >f Student Affairs ry Employer ?? ? Winte Means Big January 1 st "Winter Break is like...uhh...fun or something up on top of our big mountain!" ' Well gang, it IS FUN! I *?! ... 1 _1 .. i>Kiing, parties, swing, parties...really the kind of winter break you deserve as a hard working strugglingcollege student! Now, we know that funds are sometimes hard to come by, so we've made an effort to make a VERY AFFORDABLE! Welcome Aboard i Thursday with grc munchies, and of liquid refreshmen Free NAS Grand Finale cele race and an Apres live music at The Plus games, prize: Special lift ticket i showing valid coll $84 for 4 days. 33% savings on lc A special 3 day si ($48 for 4 days). 50% savings on a Three, Four or Six Dai Here are three options to cl Option 1 - Lodge M Wednesday, Janua Option 2 - Lodge Tl thru Saturday Nigh January 5-7. Option 3 - Lodge M January 6, and Ski *Limited availability Sundc Snowshoe's N.Y. Eve I So Come on! Plan b Rrenk Of Your Life!" Promise You Wl Cnc For Reserval Snow Rep 4 M I i r break! m Skiing At Snowshoe! thru January 6th '>*%' " v J \ Winter Break at Snowshoe Here's what you'll get... 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