LET'S COMMUNICATE 
Agriculture Communication Newsletter 
October 2002, No. 82

CONTENTS

STREAMED VIDEO & AUDIO ON THE WEB
READING BURNED CD'S
WRITE THE RIGHT WORD
THINK ABOUT IT

 

STREAMED VIDEO AND AUDIO ON THE WEB

Have you ever tried to watch or listen to a streamed file on a Web page and it didn't work? The problem may be the Web site, but is more likely a lack of current software on the computer you are using.

To stream a file, your computer must have a video display card and a sound card with speakers. Most computers have these basic components.

The computer must also have current software. Keep your favorite browser updated, and the same goes for the RealOne player. To download and upgrade to RealOne 6.0 (the most recent free version) go to http://www.real.com . Click on "FREE RealOne Player" in the upper right area of the page. On the next page, click on "Download the Free RealOne Player Only" in the lower right. Do not click on anything with "14-Day Free Trial" unless you want to pay for the high-end player. Simply follow the instructions for download, and you'll be updated.

To test your download, check out NDSU President Joseph Chapman�s State of the University address video at http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/president/address/2002_ad dress.shtml  .

Bruce Sundeen, Video Production Specialist

READING BURNED CD'S

Creating CDs with custom files is becoming more common. But a problem is that certain CD-ROM drives are not able to read recorded or "burned" discs. To try to solve this problem, record discs at a slower speed. Many CD-R drives are capable of recording at high speeds, such as 16x or higher. If instead you record at 4x-8x speeds, the recorded discs are more compatible with a wider range of CD-ROM drives. Notebook computers seem to have more compatibility problems than desktop computers. Contact the Ag Com Computer Services Help Desk at accs@ndsuext.nodak.edu or 231-9666 with questions or problems.

Jon Fry, Microcomputer Specialist

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD

A recent front-page teaser on the newspaper:  MSUM alumni is busy with her tie business

Match the words below with their definitions to figure out what's wrong with the teaser.

1. Alumnus
2. Alumna
3. Alumni
4. Alumnae

a. a woman who has attended a school (singular)
b. a man who has attended a school (singular)
c. a group of women who have attended a school (plural)
d. a group of men or a group of men and women who have attended a school (plural)

Correct answers:
1. B
2. A
3. D
4. C

So how should the teaser have been written? MSUM alumna is busy with her tie business.

THINK ABOUT IT

It is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. -- Robert Southey, English author and poet