Imagine the possibilities of combining the power of the internet with an easily consumed medium like video? Well, that’s essentially what TouchCast is. It gives you the option of adding small widgets of content (called vApps) that are displayed on the screen at the same time as your video.
Say you’re discussing a topic and you want to introduce a website that is relevant to your presentation. Just select the website vApp, position it on the screen and it’ll be added to your TouchCast. You can add so many vApps, such as images, maps, polls, ratings, quotes and much, much more. When a user taps on one of your interactive vApps, it will automatically go full screen, whilst still making your video visible in the bottom corner. This is great for talking through a PDF or pointing out things in a graphic. To take it a step further, record using a green screen and you’ll be able to add extra effects.
One of the great ways we’ve seen TouchCast used is with sign language. A storybook was displayed on the left of the screen while sign language was used to communicate the content on the right. With the addition of the iPhone remote app you can control your TouchCast wirelessly as you record on the iPad. This gives you the control over what vApp is displayed and when.
TouchCasts can be viewed on their website or directly in the TouchCast app. The only issue we had is that you can’t make your TouchCast private. Fortunately, the developers are planning to release an update in the future with Pro features, that will introduce sharing within groups.
Overall, TouchCast is a unique app that feels like the next generation of video consumption. Adding relevant, interactive content to a presentation definitely makes it more interesting and engaging — something students will certainly appreciate.