Avoid the Hotmail Spam Filter

Posted on September 7, 2010 by mailVU

Filtering out possible spam from your inbox is a good thing, except when it blocks video mail you expect to receive.  Each email vendor (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) has their own algorithm which determines what they think you should receive.  Unfortunately they are sometimes wrong and legitimate mail goes into the Spam/Junk folder.  Here is how to make sure you avoid the spam filter and receive your video mails from mailVU.

For this example we will use Hotmail.  Step 1: Within Hotmail, Select Options from the top screen of the screen.

2. Select “More Options” from the drop down:

3. Select “Safe and Blocked Senders” under “Junk email”.

4. Click on “Safe Senders”:

5. Add noreply@mailvu.com and click on the “Add to List >>” button

Now you will receive all your video mails from mailVU.com into your inbox. If you have this problem in other email systems, try a similar process to add mailVU to the approved list. If you are having trouble getting emails from other sources that you would like to receive, follow this same process and in step 5 add their email address.

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mailVU Supports School Fund Raising Contest

Posted on August 31, 2010 by mailVU

Update!!!!

THANK YOU CHARLOTTE!!!! Because of the overwhelming support of the Charlotte Community our little school of 115 Students has won $500,000 in the KOHLS CARES COMPETITION

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH DAY SCHOOL.

We finished 13th and have won $500,000.00 for our school of 115 students. We cannot stress enough how much we appreciate everyones vote!!! and support…..

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mailVU is pleased to support CJDS as a contestant in the Kohl’s Care Giving Campaign on Facebook. The 20 Schools that receive the most votes will be awarded $500,000! mailVU is providing free video email service to the school as it seeks to raise awareness of the fund raising campaign. School administration and students recorded video mail asking supporters for their votes.

Excerpt from an interview with the Charlotte Observer:

“It’s truly a viral campaign,” said CJDS’s Development Director Gale Osborne, who’s coordinating the contest for CJDS. “We have students calling friends, parents getting involved, contacting their friends and people they went to high school with, grandparents, parents and alumni.”

If CJDS wins, Groner said she’d like to put some of the money toward science labs in the classrooms and a technology lab, in place of the roaming technology cart the school uses now.


The competition ends Sept. 3.

If you have a charity drive and would like to utilize mailVU for a personalized video mail awareness drive, please send a video mail or email to support@mailVU.com.

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Tokbox Video Messaging Users Migrate to mailVU

Posted on August 17, 2010 by mailVU

On July 22, 2010 Tokbox announced changes to their video messaging service. One of the significant changes was removing stand-alone video messaging functionality. mailVU welcomes former Tokbox users to our free video email service, where you can continue recording 10 minute video emails for free.

mailVU offers features not available in the free versions from other services, including:

  • All mailVU video mails play on smartphones – iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, etc,
  • Our free video mail service supports webcam recordings up to 10 minutes long.
  • Privacy is enhanced with the self destruct option, which can auto-delete the video after a number of viewings or number of days.
  • mailVU allows the user to retract a video email for any further viewing, and offers the ability to extend the viewing up to 365 days. It is the user’s choice.

mailVU does not require an account, and there are no software downloads. Just go to the Home page and Click, Record, and Send. It is that easy.

mailVU’s stand alone video mail service is the perfect solution:

  • Your friends may be offline when you are ready to video chat, especially true when there is a large time zone difference.
  • Your friend may be sick and you don’t want to bother them with a live chat; best to leave a video message.
  • You may want to send a video message to a team of people.
  • Educators can distribute assignments to a class of students in video mail.
  • Video mail is a great tool for sign language in the deaf community. Recording video messages removes the requirement for the other person to be online at the same time.
  • Recorded video emails are a great way to tell that special someone you are thinking of them.
  • And let’s face it, sometimes we just don’t have time to video chat. Record a video message, click Send, and you’re done.

If you are a former user of the Tokbox messaging service, welcome! If you are considering making a switch please check us out on http://mailVU.com.

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The Benefits of Recording Video Interviews

Posted on August 12, 2010 by mailVU

Recorded Interview Methods

There are several ways you can use recorded video in the interview process. One method is to use video resumes to see the candidate. The video allows the candidate to demonstrate their energy, enthusiasm, and presentation skills that you can’t see in a text resume. A drawback is that you have to watch the entire video and can’t easily skip ahead to a section. Another use of recorded video is a video introduction. Usually 1-2 minutes long, this introduction accompanies a text resume, allowing the recruiter the ability to retain the benefits of a text resume while also getting a brief view of the candidates enthusiasm level.

A third way of using recorded video is for question and answer sessions. A recruiter can send a video email to candidates asking for them to answer specific questions. The candidates can record a video mail back with the answers. The recruiter can then compare the answers side by side, and play them back as often as they wish. A fourth way of using recorded video is to help the candidate practice for their interview. Mock interview question and answers can be recorded, critiqued for improvement, and used for practice before an in-person interview.

Recorded Video Interview Tools

Two recorded video tools are YouTube and Vimeo. These are video hosting sites which are open to the public for viewing. Some candidates will post video resumes on these sites, but it is not a very private forum, and it tends to be generic so it applies to everyone, not a specific job or company position. Facebook and LinkedIn are great locations for seeing candidate videos, but like YouTube, they are public in nature and you are not going to get the customized video for your position. The same applies when candidates post generic video resumes on their personal web sites.

Video mail services avoid the problems of the video hosting sites lack of privacy and communication. There are 2 free video email services highlighted here, mailVU and eyejot. A recruiter, or a candidate can go to the site and easily create a webcam video email and privately send it to the other person. The video emails are customized for the position and the questions being asked. Best of all these services are free. The picture on this page is a screen shot of a mailVU video email.  The recipient just clicks on the image to play it.

The last method I’ll mention is to record web conference interviews. There are add-ons to Skype that allow recording, as well as screen recorders available tor free on the internet.

Recorded Video Considerations

There are several considerations one must make before choosing a recorded video format. One consideration is the point in the interview process in which it is used. It may not be worth recording and saving the files until the candidate has progressed past the initial interview stage. Privacy and user permission is a major consideration. Obviously if the candidate sends you a video resume or video email then they have explicitly given you permission to use it. However if you are recording them during a video call you will need to check the legal requirements of your area. In the US it varies by state, with some states requiring both party consent and some states requiring single party consent. My advice is never record a candidate without their knowledge and consent.

A third tool consideration is whether the recording needs to be for a live conversation, or simply answers to questions or a tell-me-about-yourself introduction. No matter which recording method you choose you will be able to play it back at a later time – something you can’t do with non-recorded interviews. You can go play it back to review exactly how the candidate addressed a point or question, and you and the candidate can play it back to identify improvement areas. If you really like the candidate and want to forward them to the hiring manager for the next interview, you can easily forward the video to them so they can watch it.

Video Recording Decision

Now that we’ve reviewed the benefits let’s discuss decisions you need to make when implementing these tools, starting with the Recording Decision. As mentioned, privacy and user permission is a critical factor. Be clear with the candidate that it is being recorded, explain why it is being recorded, explain what is going to be done with the recording, and the final disposition of it. Examine the cost of recording, both from the aspect of paying for any recording service or software as well as the storage cost of saving the files. Examine the technical concerns of recording and how easily it is done. Lastly make sure you know what will be done with the recordings and how they will be used. If you choose to use recordings you can receive many benefits.

Video Recording Benefits

Recordings can be used to document the interviews, ensuring the same questions are asked of each candidate. Recordings can be replayed to catch sections that need repeating. You can forward recordings to hiring managers, and you can check your own interviewing process to make sure you are being consistent in the questions and in the process. It has been said that candidates will be more honest if they know they are being recorded. With the frequent exaggeration on text resumes, having the candidate state a fact on recorded video may make them think twice about stretching the truth. Remember that recording frequently are used to record the recruiter and hiring manager, so it can be used for feedback on how to conduct better interviews.

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Technical Assistance for Common Webcam Troubles

Posted on July 21, 2010 by mailVU

Webcam Video Help

No webcam video

All Webcams – Some of the newer USB webcams do not need software drivers. Plug the webcam in, wait about 15 seconds for the computer to recognize it, and then open your browser. If the browser was already open when you plugged in the USB webcam you may have to close the browser and reopen it to enable the webcam. Other webcams require software drivers, usually available on a CD. Make sure you have correctly loaded the software drivers that came with your webcam. If you’ve lost the CD you can usually download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website under their product support section.

USB Webcams – If it is an external webcam and you can’t see video, try closing your browser, unplugging the USB cable and then plug it back in. Wait 15 seconds and then launch your browser and try your webcam again.

Camera Selection – Most programs allow you to manually select and switch between webcams. To select your webcam in mailVU simply choose your device in the drop down list below the recording window. To change webcams in MSN click Tools, Audio & Video set up, Next. It should give you the option to choose which camera you want to use. To change webcams in Skype choose Settings, Camera to change your selection. Every program has a similar means of allowing you to manually select the camera you want. For Mac users you may have to select the USB webcam, even if it is built-in.

Additional webcam video help

Windows 7 – Go to Control Panel, Hardware, Devices and look for your webcam. Go through the tabs to make sure it is Enabled. If you do not see the webcam in the list, click on Add a device. If you still don’t see your webcam then you will need to reload the software drivers, either from disc or the manufacturer’s website. Once you think you have it loaded, reboot your computer.

Vista – Go to Control Panel, Hardware, Devices and look for your webcam. Go through the tabs to make sure it is Enabled. If you do not see the webcam in the list, right click on the white space and select Show disabled devices. If you still don’t see your webcam then you will need to reload the software drivers, either from disc or the manufacturer’s website. Once you think you have it loaded reboot your computer.

XP – Go to Control Panel, Printers and other Hardware, Scanners and Cameras. If you webcam is listed make sure it is enabled. If your webcam isn’t listed click on Add An Imaging Device on the left side and follow the setup.

My webcam image is upside down. How do I fix it?

Either you chose the effect under your webcam options, or your software driver is corrupted and you will need to reload your software driver. Here are the instructions to reload the driver for Windows 7:

1. download the latest webcam driver from the manufacturer’s web site.

2. save the contents to desktop.

3. click the Windows Start icon. Right-click on Computer and select Properties.

4. select Device Manager.

5. click on Imaging Devices to show the name of the webcam.

6. right-click on the name of the webcam and select Properties.

7. go to the Driver tab. Click on Update Driver and a new window should pop-up.

8. click ‘Browse my computer for driver software’. Select ‘Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer’.

9. on the next window, it’ll give you the current driver. Click ‘Have Disk’. click Browse. Browse to the desktop and select the latest driver that you’ve downloaded. It will then be added to the list of drivers. Select the new driver and click Next. Follow the prompts to install the new driver.

Microphone

No webcam audio

Windows 7 – Click on Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Sound, Recording. You should see your microphone icon with a Green check mark on it. If there is no Green check mark, it means it is disabled. To enable the Microphone Right click on Microphone and click on Enable. If you do not see the Microphone in the list, Right click on the White space and select Show disabled devices. Then you would see the Microphone. However, if you do not see the green check mark on it, Right click on it and click on Enable. And also Select Microphone and click on Set Default (If Set as default button is active).

Now set the microphone Sensitivity level:

  1. Select Microphone and click on Properties button.
  2. Select Levels, and adjust the slider to the right to 50-100 % of its range.
  3. If Mute is on, click the mute button to un-mute the device.
  4. If Microphone Boost is available, boost the volume.
  5. Click OK to make the changes.

XP – Click Start, Control Panel, Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. Select the Task “Adjust System Volume”. Click on the audio tab, go to the middle section for Sound Recording and click on the Volume button. You can now see the microphone levels and can increase the volume level.

Mac

To Start, click the Apple Icon on the top left of your screen and select System Preferences

Then select Sound

Then Select Input and Line In

Other Webcam Help

I can’t click Allow in the Flash pop-up

This can happen on the Mac when using Firefox. While Adobe/Apple/Firefox resolve their differences, use Safari or Chrome as your Mac browser on Flash applications and it should work fine.

How can I improve webcam image quality?

There are 3 major factors to your webcam image quality: webcam quality, lighting, and bandwidth. External webcams usually have better specifications than built-in webcams. Be sure to use a webcam that supports 1.3Mp or better real image resolution (not “enhanced”) as well as 30 frames per second (fps). Always have light shining on your face and never behind you. Put a lamp on your table if needed, have your overhead lights on, and make sure any light behind you is muted as much as possible (for example close the curtains if there is a window behind you). The more bandwidth the better. Use a wired connection instead of wireless, and try to be in an area where you are sharing Internet with as few people as possible. Click here for a longer guide to improving your webcam image quality.

How can I improve webcam fps?

The primary factors impacting fps are 1) computer processor speed, 2)power, and 3) Internet bandwidth. Use the following techniques to maximize the frames per second produced by your webcam:
1) Have good lighting on your face. Never have a light source, such as a window or lamp, behind you. Use a desk lamp if necessary to ensure there is good lighting between the webcam lens and your face.
2) Plug in your computer. A laptop running on batteries may reduce fps to conserve battery life.
3) Connect your computer to your router/modem with an Ethernet cable instead of wireless.
4) Keep movement to a minimum. The less you move the less the video will change between frames, and your webcam will produce a better image.
5) Wear solid color clothing, and avoid stripes which cause the auto-focus lens to constantly adjust.
6) Try to avoid running any other programs at the same time as using your webcam. These programs consume your processor, leaving less for processing the video.

You can check your webcam fps by going to the mailVU.com website, recording a brief video, and then playing it back. The fps result will appear during playback below the image.

Computer Cables:

Make sure your cables and the connections are in excellent condition.  For rock bottom pricing on computer cables and accessories we recommend the following vendor: Computer Cabling & Accessories

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mailVU Video Email Showcased at TiE Summit

Posted on July 19, 2010 by mailVU

The mailVU free video email service was highlighted this past weekend at The Indus Entrepreneurial Summit in Atlanta, GA.

Hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, panelists, and press attended the 2-day conference, touted as “The Largest Entrepreneurial Summit in the Southeast”. A2Stream Inc. was showcased as one of the innovative companies at the show, demonstrating the easy to use mailVU video email service.

Many attendees and panelists stopped by the mailVU demo table, creating free video emails and sending them to colleagues and family. The service generated a lot of buzz on the exhibit floor. Keynote speaker Vivek Wadhwa stopped by to record and send a video email, and then promptly played it on his iPhone.

The conference organizers liked mailVU and decided to ask all of the presenting entrepreneurs to record their investor pitches on the service. While mailVU video mail is often used for family connections, the Summit demonstrated many useful business applications.

mailVU is the easiest and fastest way to send private video email to family, friends, and business associates. Try it today on http://mailVU.com.

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mailVU Free Video Email Service Moves Into Production

Posted on July 15, 2010 by mailVU

A2Stream Inc. announced general availability of mailVU.com, the easy-to-use free video email service. It is a great way to record video messages with a personal touch that you can’t get with text or instant messaging. Family members can stay in touch with loved ones with video and audio, almost like being there in person.

Features of the mailVU free video mail service include:

Easy to Use: No account required and there is no software to download.

Mobile Phone Friendly: Video mails play on most smart phones

Self Destruct Option: User sets criteria on number of views/days for deletion.

Private: Video emails are sent to specific people, and can be retracted.

Email friendly: There are no large files to consume an inbox.

mailVU provides privacy features not available in public video storage sites. Video emails are sent to specific recipients, and not available for the world to view. The mailVU user can retract the video, or have the video self-destruct at a time of their choosing. The user also has the option of receiving read notification for each video mail.

The free video email service works right in a browser, and is ready to use right on the mailVU.com home page. Unlike video chat services, the sender of a mailVU video and the recipient do not have to be online at the same time. People can communicate with video without having to arrange schedules across time zones.

For more information about mailVU please video mail or email: info@mailVU.com

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Video Voting – Who will win the World Cup?

Posted on July 8, 2010 by mailVU

mailVU.com is hosting a free video voting contest to see whether the Netherlands or Spain will win the 2010 World Cup. Video voting is done by going to the mailVU.com site, clicking on which team you believe will win, and recording an enthusiastic video mail saying why they will win. The World Cup vote videos are entirely free, and simple to make from any computer with webcam.

Fan videos will be posted starting 7/9 so everyone can see the fun World Cup voting of their team fans. mailVU will be keeping count and providing the score right through Sunday’s finale. After voting, send a free video email to your friends to have them vote too! Go to mailVU.com and cast your video vote today.

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Int’l Recognition for mailVU Free Video Email Service

Posted on July 7, 2010 by mailVU

mailVU.com continues to gain international exposure as websites throughout the world are recognizing the easy to use, free video email service.  mailVU was recently recognized in Argentina (dotpod.com.ar), Israel (globels.co.il), and Startup-news.matters.com:

The mailVU.com video email service is free for users around the world, and it is extremely easy to use.  Simply go to the website on any computer with a webcam, click Record and start talking, click Stop when done, and then click Send Video Mail.   You select who can view the video by entering their email address.   If you are concerned about privacy you can select a self-destruct time frame, either in number of video views, or the number of days.

Try the free  mailVU.com video email service today.  Mail you can view.

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mailVU Video Email – In The News

Posted on July 2, 2010 by mailVU

The word is getting out about the easy to use, free video email service from mailVU.com.  Radio stations such as Kiss 93.9 FM in Raleigh and Rac 105 FM in Barcelona Spain recently spoke about the service on-the-air as well as on their web sites.

mailVU is the easiest and fastest way to send private video messages to family, friends, and business associates. There is no software to download, and you can record video messages from any computer with a webcam.

mailVU provides a private video between people, so there is no worry about everyone else on the Internet having YouTube-like access to it.  And unlike video chat, the sender and the recipient do not need to be online at any time.

Try mailVU today.  It’s easy, and FREE.

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