talki

Goldmail is a new service for creating narrated slide shows. I've seen other multimedia presentation products, but never one as drop-dead easy as this. It's a great tool. And I say this despite the fact that Goldmail's CEO, Guy Longworth, introduced the product to me with worst pitch I've ever heard anyone give a writer: "Text is lifeless." Gee, thanks.

To create a talkie in Goldmail, first you grab your images, either from your hard disk, by taking screen grabs, or by creating text slides in Goldmail. You sort the images into the order you want. Then you press Record, and while you're talking, click the "next slide" button to advance the show (you can also use an audio file from your PC). Goldmail records the transition points. It's a more natural authoring environment than any other I have used.

Once you've created your presentation, you get an option to e-mail it, link to it, or embed it. I like that the app doesn't pretend it's an e-mail client or a blogging tool--but it gives you just what you need to work with the tools you already use.

It's not flashy, though. There's no control for transitions. You can't overlay a music track. You can't embed or record video in a show. And it's far too easy to backtrack and mistakenly erase your audio track. But for creating a slide show, either of photos you want to share with your family or of a collection of slides you want to make into a business or academic presentation, it can't be beat.

One major downside: The Goldmail authoring platform is downloadable software. There's no Mac version. The team is working on a Web 2.0 version that will be open to everyone, but it's not here yet.

The consumer version of Goldmail is free and allows unlimited views for your talkies, but all messages end with advertising. There's a pro version for $9.95 a month that has no ads and that offers tracking, so you can see who's viewing your messages and when.

Longworth says he's already having success pitching Goldmail to nonprofits and other companies who want to send out pitches that tug on the heartstrings, which a talking slide show can, I admit, do better than most text.

The Goldmail site is live now, and I expect the company to make its big announcement on Monday.

See also: Vizzvox and VoiceThread (review).

Read on to see an embedded Goldmail presentation.

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Come in walkie-talkie fans. Over. The Motorola TLKR T5 two-way radio not only looks good but works pretty well too. With a potential range of 6km--in perfect conditions, natch--we managed to get it working all around Crave UK's trendy penthouse offices, which beats the pants off those toy ones you get at Toys "R" Us.

You can pick up a pair of these for about 60 pounds (about $125), which we think isn't bad at all. They're very robust, so they're ideal for outdoor use. Whether you a skier, hiker, climber or just like … Read more

Maybe Motorola is onto something with this walkie-talkie stuff. After all, it's one of the few functions the iPhone doesn't have (yet). And unlike the T.J. Hooker-style units of years past, some of the new models are barely distinguishable from fashion-conscious mobile phones.

In fact, according to SlashGear, Motorola's new i425 handset serves as both phone and walkie-talkie, with GPS features thrown in for good measure, all in a black or white case that's a half-inch thick and weighs 3.88 ounces. It's available from Sprint's Boost Mobile service on a pay-as-you-go … Read more

Why should mobile phones be the only handheld communication devices to get all the attention from designers? Philips proved recently, for instance, that land lines too were capable of making a fashion statement. And now Motorola may be applying the concept to the most aesthetically challenged handset of all: the walkie-talkie.

The new "TLKR" line is a "stylish, easy-to-use and colorful" range of two-way radios, according to Pocket-lint. These definitely aren't the kind of cheapo toys some of us got at the five-and-dime store as kids. (Here's a definition the young 'uns.) Depending on … Read more