The Visual Lounge lets you find out about TechSmith behind-the-scenes. Watch screencasts and videos from other customers, meet up with your fellow TechSmith users and staff, and get more tips and tricks!

Ever since my dad brought home an Atari 5200, I've been hooked on video games. I still love them to this day! Lately I've been addicted to Rock Band. And, sometimes, if there is no one around, I may even work up the nerve to play role of the lead singer in the game! I do a mean rendition of the Beastie Boys, "So Watcha Want". :-)

I recently 'met' Jeff Chausse (JC) on Twitter. Jeff has one of the coolest jobs around and is also a Snagit user! Jeff is the Web Director at Harmonix. And, Harmonix develops, you guessed it, Rock Band - Squeeeeeee! I had to know how Harmonix was using Snagit! Jeff was kind enough to answer some interview questions about how he uses Snagit. Enjoy!

BW: How have images and screenshots changed your own communication for the better?

JC: Obviously, it's cliché, but "a picture is worth a thousand words". If I need to tell my team that something on the web site needs to change, it's far easier for me to do a quick screen grab and add some explanatory text and arrows, than try to explain it in words.

BW: Are your images and screenshots used internally or externally? What is the viewer response to them?

JC: We use them both internally and externally. Again, within my team, they eliminate a whole lot of ambiguity when trying to describe a bug or how a feature should look. Externally, we often use screenshots when seeking approval from partners. When building a site, a whole lot of people need to approve the way certain things look, and their placement - the first parties (that is, the game platforms), our lawyers, business partners, and licensors. We sent countless screenshots to Apple Records folks in developing TheBeatlesRockBand.com.

BW: What do you use Snagit for primarily?

JC: Primarily, I use it to show things to my team - either "this is broken", "check out how this other site does this", or "here's how I think it should look. Snagit even has just enough editing features that I often use it to do quick and dirty mockups instead of firing up Photoshop. Sometimes, I'll get a confused email from a member of my team, 5 minutes before I have to run off to a meeting. The editing tools in Snagit let me VERY quickly clarify what I'm talking about.

BW: What are the last three captures in your Open Captures Tray?

JC: Let's see... I have a screenshot of an Outlook, showing someone on my team how he might have inadvertently scheduled a 0 minute meeting. I have a screenshot of a typo on our website that I sent to one of our writers to fix. And a screenshot of a ridiculous Windows error message. I thought of tweeting it, but never did.

BW: Is there one feature of Snagit that has flat-out delighted you? Tell me about it...

JC: I don't know if this is really considered a "feature", but I just love that I can see something on the screen, snag it (ha!), and send it off by email, all without ever having to save the file somewhere, give it name, drag it into an email as an attachment, and remember to delete the temporary file. Snagit really makes sending a mocked up image feel almost as natural as typing.

BW: Anything else we should know?

JC: Well, one thing I love using Snagit for (which is probably something you don't pitch heavily to corporations) is occasionally sending goofy LOLcat type images to my team. Normally, a manager shouldn't admit to such frivolity, but it's so quick and easy to do with Snagit, I feel no guilt! You can just do a Google Image Search, capture the image with Snagit, add some text, change the font to "Impact", turn on a drop-shadow, and - boom! - hilarity ensues. Whole thing takes 30 seconds. Great fun for all.

BW: What is the last video game you played?

JC: Why, The Beatles: Rock Band, of course! Actually, I have a 3 year old and a 2 month old at home, so I have very little time to get absorbed in a deep and complex game. I mostly play stuff I can pick up and put down in 5 minutes or less. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, this means I've been playing a lot of iPhone games. My latest addiction is "Canabalt", which is pretty much the ultimate mindless, quickie game. There's only one command, "jump", and a game is over in about 30 seconds.

BW: What's your favorite video game?

JC: Well, aside from the Rock Band games which, honestly, really do get the most play in my house, I'm terribly behind on keeping up with today's big games. My favorite game of all time is Starcraft - I think nothing beats a perfectly balanced RTS (Real Time Strategy) game. I've also logged a ridiculous amount of hours playing the Sims games and Half Life 2. That game truly turned managed to turn a first person shooter into an engrossing work of art.

Jeff Chausse is the Web Director at Harmonix and is responsible for managing interactive efforts for its Rock Band series of video games, most recently leading the design and development of TheBeatlesRockBand.com. Prior to working at Harmonix, Jeff has worked at Zoom Information, Hill Holliday and Groove Networks, in various technical, marketing, and managerial roles. Jeff lives in the Boston suburbs with his wife and two young children.

I was in Atlanta earlier this week at the PowerPoint Live conference - it was a great event that not only focused on how to use PowerPoint better, but also the art of giving better presentations and storytelling.

And, as you may know, I love a good challenge! PowerPoint MVP, Geetesh Bajaj from Indezine and Scrapbook Presentations, the Snagit product Manager, Tiffany Wood and I took a field trip to the World of Coca-Cola. At the end of the tour, they have a tasting room where you have the opportunity to try out 64 different types of beverages from around the world! I mean, when else would I get the opportunity to try a fizzy watermelon drink from Japan?! I went into the tour planning to take down all 64 beverages, but instead walked out defeated after trying around 30 of them (plus I came out with a headache and feeling ill)! I'll have to practice for my next trip so I can walk out victorious!

Geetesh, also let me know that he is still adding new free Snagit Stamps every day to his website, Scrapbook Presentations. Check out these stamps for Halloween! You can see all the stamps here

You can watch a tutorial to see how to make your own stamps or add them in Snagit here. And, you can find some free stamps TechSmith made here.

Any requests for stamps? What kinds of stamps would you like made for Snagit? My vote? Mustaches, beards and glasses! Or a set for travel.

I've got someone new for you to meet. I know you'll like her! Meet Tiffany Wood - She's the new Snagit Product Manager!

Don't worry, Tony Dunckel, is still with TechSmith. He's recently been promoted from Snagit Product Manager to our Director of Web and Enterprise Services and he's still wearing the hat of the Jing Product Manager. So he's still got at least one foot in the fun stuff ;-)

I grabbed a quick video with Tiffany last week. Check it out below. It runs less than 2 minutes - meet Tiffany, and even hear which is her favorite football team. Any guesses?

And, I also had a chance to ask Tiffany a few questions. Here's what she had to say...

• How have images and screenshots changed your own communication for the better?
TW: I have been using Snagit for at least seven years, well before I was lucky enough to work here at TechSmith - I cannot imagine my life without it. I use Snagit every day. Screen captures visually convey ideas and concepts, guide people through a process, and add polish to presentations.

• What do you use Snagit for primarily?
TW: Right now, I use Snagit to create presentations about Snagit, capture feedback from customers, create mockups to share ideas, and capture receipts from online transactions.

I also enjoy adding funny callouts to pictures I send to family and friends back in Wisconsin.

• What are the last three captures in your Open Captures Tray?
TW: My last three captures are a pie chart illustrating the top feature requests for Snagit, a Snagit dialog box I had a question about, and the Green Bay Packers football schedule.

• Is there one feature of Snagit that has flat-out delighted you? Tell me about it...
TW: It's difficult to pick one feature, two of my favorites are the Tray in Editor so I can easily drag multiple captures together to create a composite capture. Another favorite is whenever I capture something online, like an interesting gift idea for my sister, Snagit stores the link to the website for me so I can go back later.

Tiffany is here to help you, to listen and to continue to make Snagit even better. You'll see her on the road at Tradeshows and on Twitter at @snagit. Do you have any questions for her?

Now that we've released Camtasia for Mac, one of the top questions I've been hearing is, 'Will there be Snagit for the Mac?!'

Well, you asked for it. The good news just keeps coming today! I'm pleased to share the news that you will be getting your wish! I'm happy to announce that TechSmith is in the early stages of actively developing Snagit for the Mac!

Want to keep up with the latest news about Snagit on the Mac? You can sign up to receive email updates here. I'll also post any news and info here on the blog and on Twitter.

One of my favorite blogs is Lifehacker. The blog is all about getting things done and who doesn't need tips about how to improve that? I learn something new in every post.

Periodically Lifehacker asks readers for their picks for software, hardware, and other tools. We're honored that Snagit made the cut for their March - June 2009 list. You can see all of the Best of the Best: Hive Five Winners, March through June 2009 here.

Thanks to everyone who voted for Snagit! I appreciate it! To celebrate, I'll give 5 prize packs away that include a copy of Snagit v9, t-shirt, and other fun items. Just leave a comment on this blog entry with your suggestion for a future blog post. Post your comment by 10:00am EST on Friday, July 17, 2009 to qualify. I'll pick 5 winners at random.

It's good to share, right? And, I have got something fun to share with you!

As you know, I love our products and I love stickers. We just got in some great new buttons and stickers and I thought many of you would like them too!

If you'd like some Snagit, Camtasia Studio and Jing stickers and buttons, please feel free to order them from here.

And, please, please, please email me some pics of you with your buttons and stickers. I'd love to see how you put them to good use!

As you know, TechSmith is headquartered in lovely Okemos, Michigan. And, lately, I've noticed many men walking around town in beards. Now, what do Michigan and beards have in common? Well, our 'local' hockey team in Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings are in the Stanley Cup finals... tonight. And, there is a tradition that hockey players and fans will grow 'playoff beards' once their team has entered the playoffs!

So, that got me thinking... hockey, playoff beards, tech... how can we bring them all together? That lead me to thinking about the mustache custom Snagit stamp I shared earlier this week (you can download it here). Well, why not have a playoff beard custom Snagit stamp too?! Check out our Education Evangelist, Dave McCollom sporting the playoff beard stamp!

You can download your own Playoff Beard custom stamp to use in Snagit here. Enjoy! I'd love to see what you create with it... Give your boss a playoff beard, your dog, a baby... it works on anyone. :-)

You can find more info here about how to install and use custom stamps in Snagit.

The 'beard is back' as they say! And, I'll be watching the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup tonight! ;-)

If you grew up in the 80s like I did, you are probably familiar with pop singer Rick Astley. In the last few years, maybe you've heard of "Rickrolling"? Basically it is like the old bait and switch idea - you send someone a web link that misdirects someone to Rick Astley's video, " Never Gonna Give You Up". Pretty funny!

So, naturally, when I saw the tweet above from Jessica Knott, it caught my attention. Snagit AND Rick Astley! A custom stamp match made in heaven! I had to find out more! So, I contacted Jess and she was kind enough to share the custom stamp.

If you'd like your own Rick Astley stamp for Snagit, you can download it from here.

Jessica also wrote a great blog post here about how she uses Snagit 9 at Michigan State University (my alma mater!) for documentation.

And, while we're on the topic of the 80's, you cannot talk about 80's pop stars without mentioning Hall & Oates. John Oates has a mustache that is legendary. So, I was thinking what better than a mustache stamp to go along with the Rick Astley stamp!? I tested out the mustache stamp on our Snagit trainer, Chris McQueen's pic to the left. :-)

And, I thought others might want to use the mustache stamp too (that's for you, John Quick)!. You can download the mustache Snagit stamp here.

If you'd like to make your own Snagit custom stamp, you can take any PNG, JPG, GIF, TIF or BMP. Chris McQueen from our Training Department will show you how to create and use a custom stamp in this handy screencast. It runs just over 2 minutes.

If you prefer a written tutorial, you can read here how to add a Custom Stamp to your Quick Styles Gallery in Snagit.

Chris also writes Snagit tips on Twitter. You can follow him here or TechSmith on Twitter here.

Want other stamps? You can download them here from TechSmith. Or, Geetesh Bajaj from Indezine and Scrapbook Presentations has hundreds of other free Snagit stamps available in a variety of categories here.

I want to see how you use the Rick Astley and mustache stamp! Email me the pics or post links in the comments! I'm lobbying our Creative Services Department for a set of different mustaches and eyebrows. You'd use them, wouldn't you?! Any other stamp requests?

Thanks for a good laugh, Jess! You make Snagit fun!

It's good to share, right? I heard from Geetesh Bajaj from Indezine and Scrapbook Presentations recently and he asked me to share some new Snagit stamps they created!

They made some new sets that include all keyboard characters found on Windows and Macintosh keyboards. You can download them for free here. Geetesh has hundreds of other free Snagit stamps available in a variety of categories here.

Also, you can find additional stamps for Snagit from TechSmith available here. And, you can create your own stamps. Here's a fun project to show you how. Enjoy and start stamping away!

I am told that I didn't talk much until I was two years old and then I started to speak in full sentences. Maybe it was because I had an older sister to do the talking for me. Or, maybe it was because I had nothing to say! Regardless of what the reason is, I am now trying to catch up for lost time! :-) I love to talk - online or face to face! I even talk in my sleep! You'll often find me available to chat online via Instant Messager or on Twitter. And, I often like to supplement my chats with something visual - like a Snagit screencapture! And, this is where is gets difficult...

Part of the problem with "talking" online is that it can be difficult to share screencaptures via email or chat. Files are often blocked or people can't receive or open them. It always seems to fail when I'm sending the files to them.

There's a new, free output for Snagit that makes it easy to share your screencaps - the Snagit Screencast.com Output. Send your Snagit screencaps to Screencast.com and then just share the link - no more messing with files being blocked or lost. Easy! This is great to use for collaborating on projects, in blog comments, Instant Messaging or on sites like Twitter.

By the way, you can learn about Snagit and TechSmith news like this through our Newsletters. You can subscribe to them via email or RSS. They're free and full of news, tips and tricks. Enjoy and start adding graphics to your chats and emails!

What program or site would you like Snagit output screencaptures to?

Last week we released Snagit 9.1. Not only did Snagit get a new logo and features, but we also ditched the capital 'I' in SnagIt and changed it to Snagit. Did you notice that? In honor of Snagit, we are celebrating lowercase 'i' day. Why the change? Well, check out this funny 'official' press release in our newsletter here. Also, you can watch the bonus video below to see the behind the scenes action, drama and comedy about how Snagit lost the capital 'I'. I think you'll find it very amusing!

And, if you like the video, feel free to subscribe to our monthly newsletters. They're filled with videos like this one, tips, tricks and news. Also, as an added benefit to subscribing to them, there are often special offers. Check out the holiday special here - you can save $10 - $25 off a copy of Snagit or Camtasia Studio this month. Perfect for gift giving!

Will you celebrate lowercase 'i' day with us?

So, we've just had three huge releases in the last two months at TechSmith. We hope you liked the new features and designs we added to SnagIt, Camtasia Studio and Morae.

Now...we need to know what you'd like to see in our next round of releases. Here's your chance to have a stake in your software. But, don't make us guess at what you want and need. See how confused Camtasia Studio Product Manager, Troy Stein, and Assistant Camtasia Studio Product Manager, Travis Stoliker, look without your feedback?

E-mail, call, make us a video, send feedback in via our Web site or leave comments on this blog with your suggestions. Or, you're welcome to visit TechSmith and give us your thoughts in person. Seriously!

Get your feedback to us any way you can, because our software is only as good as your suggestions.