Tech Topic 52: Enlarge WordPress Images, Website Audio Version, Follow YouTube Feeds

on

On this week's Tech Topic, the OnEBoard Crew shared tips on setting up images on your WordPress site to enlarge with a single click, creating an audio version of your website, and following YouTube channels in a feed reader. 

Bob Danley: Enlargeable WordPress Images, no Lightbox plugin required.

Bob gave step-by-step instructions for setting up the images on your WordPress site to enlarge when people click using the built-in settings. 

  1. Insert the image on your site or blog.
  2. Click on the image in Edit mode so the toolbar appears.
  3. Click on the link icon. 
  4. Select "Link to image file" (Or one of the other options)
  5. Click on the down arrow.
  6. Enable "Open in new tab".

Bob says: "And then what happens is voila, the image will open up in a new browser window, fully expanded. In fact, if you click a second time, it will fill the entire monitor. And that's what you want, especially if you have photos that are macrocentric, which you want to show finer details."

View the slides Bob presented for more detailed instructions.

Nina Trankova: Create an audio version of your website

You can use NotebookLM to create an audio podcast version of your website. 

Nina says: "it's just one click, one minute and here you are. You have the whole website you've been creating for say 10 years into an audio file. And even if you don't create an audio book or podcast, listening to it can make you rethink, change perspective ..."
  1. Open Notebook LM
  2. Select +Create new
  3. In the new window for adding a source select Website and paste your website URL
    Note that only visible text on the website will be imported; paid articles are not supported.
  4. Click Insert
  5. The new window will display NotebookLM's creation services: FAQ, Study guide, Table of Contents, Timeline, Briefing doc and Audio Overview. 
  6. Select Audio Overview. It will take a few min to generate a "Deep dive conversation " in WAX audio file format.
  7. Download
Note that the deep dive conversation is currently in the English language only.

NotebookLM notebook with option to Generate an Audio Overview at top right.

See Nina's previous NotebookLM Audio Overview suggestions for using it for business communication or to create a personalized anniversary or birthday greeting.

Peggy Kolm: Follow YouTube channels in your favorite feed reader

YouTube channels have a built-in RSS feed of newly published videos (including live streams and Shorts). You do not need to use a third party service to create the YouTube RSS feed.

Peggy says: "And the nice thing is that it is not algorithmic. The feed is just chronological. You can mark individual items as read if you viewed it or if you're not interested. And you can just do it in your own time. And you don't have to subscribe to those channels on YouTube to do that. You can just follow them. That way when you are actually on YouTube, you're watching things maybe you're more interested in."

To add a YouTube channel feed, all you need to do is choose the option to add a new feed, and then add the YouTube channel URL. The feed will be automatically detected. 

(Shout-out to Andrew, who asked if this could be used for playlists during the live stream, and then tested it to discover that you can indeed follow playlists this way.)

Here's how that works in the Feedly News Reader:

1. Enter the channel URL. 2. Select the channel feed.

3. Click Edit or Following to organize into a folder.


Note that scheduled live stream videos are dated on the date they are posted on the channel, not the date of the live stream itself.
 
Here's Peggy's feed of YouTube videos from Google's official YouTube channels (75 new, yikes!)
Feedly screen showing Google on YouTube feed with four Most Popular videos at the top, then a chronological feed.

OnEBoard will be back with 3 Tips in 10 Minutes in December.

Comments

Post a Comment