Windows: Among the screen capture and encoding tools, Microsoft’s name probably doesn’t come up. Too bad, because their Expression Encoder offers a free, high-resolution screen capture tool that works great for how-to recordings, demonstrations, and other desktop video capture needs. More »
Trying to diagnose computer issues remotely is really hard unless you can see what’s actually going on. The next time your someone needs your help with their computer, point them to ShowMeWhatsWrong and have them take a quick screencast. More »
Firefox: If you need a simple screen recording tool but don’t want to install an extra application just for the task the CaptureFox extension brings screen recording to Firefox. More »
Screenr is a web-based screencasting application that makes sharing short screencasts painless. More »
Screencasting doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. If all you need is a quick screencast to show a friend how to do something or commemorate your awesome Line Rider skills, Screenjelly can deliver. More »
If you need to create a simple screencast but don’t want the hassle of installing and configuring software, ScreenCastle gets the job done from any Java-enabled web browser. More »
ScreenToaster, the totally web-based screencasting tool we took for a spin two months ago, has quietly rolled out a whole bunch of new features, including HD-quality YouTube uploads, Flash/QuickTime downloads, and more recording tools. The two big items in ScreenToaster’s update are HD-quality auto-uploads from your final editing screen, along with the ability to download either a .swf Flash file or a .mov QuickTime movie from your full-screen or partial screencast. There’s a drawback, however, in the form of a ScreenToaster logo embedded in the corner, and WebWorkerDaily reports that YouTube exporting loses any supplementary webcam footage and subtitles.
ScreenToaster, fresh out of restricted beta, is a web-based screencasting tool that can record your desktop from any computer with a browser and Java. It’s great for quick demonstrations, and for beginners.
After signing up for a free account (name, password, email), you’re pretty much set to go. Screentoaster supports Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari—actually, pretty much any browser that can run a Java applet. Get your desktop or apps set up, hit the “Start Recording” button on ScreenToaster’s main page, and you’ll end up with something like this:
Yesterday you saw a fuzzy video demonstration of Aero Peek, one of the new features coming in Windows 7. Peek supercharges Windows’ taskbar thumbnail previews, and lets you view, close, and switch between multiple windows by just hovering over the taskbar thumbnail, as well as pin programs to the taskbar permanently. Here’s a firsthand screencast of what this looks like in action on your desktop.
Tester invites started going out to the dramatically-overhauled new Yahoo Calendar beta, and we were one of the lucky ones to give it a spin. The new look and feel brings YCal into 2008 (finally!) with a dynamic interface including drag and drop events, Flickr integration, multiple calendar subscriptions and—gasp!—a built-in to-do list. For too long, YCal has looked like it was stuck in 1998, even though it launched way earlier than Google Calendar or other flashy web-based calendar tools, so we’re thrilled to see it get back in the game. Let’s take a look at the new YCal beta in action; a full screenshot and a quick screencast are yours below.
