wccrawford Wrote:I should have mentioned that I'm on 64-bit Kubuntu. That makes a huge difference in compatibility for things, especially Flash.

I use smart.fm with a 64-bit Kubuntu too (without problems). If you don't already do so I suggest you to use the 64-bit alpha version.
http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer10.html

thorstenu Wrote:

wccrawford Wrote:I should have mentioned that I'm on 64-bit Kubuntu. That makes a huge difference in compatibility for things, especially Flash.

I use smart.fm with a 64-bit Kubuntu too (without problems). If you don't already do so I suggest you to use the 64-bit alpha version.
http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer10.html

Ack! I didn't know it existed! Thanks

They have revived the progress bars with the latest update.

@wccrawford

LOL.

津aven't heard anyone 述ention iknow's podcast feature... maybe 吾'm just a bit 遅low...well, 吾'm 勿ot yukkuri kame for nothing...兎に角

iknow will automatically export a podcast 之f 毎very completed iknow lesson to itunes, 等tc. for your listening 愉leasure. A transcript comes with the podcast, so you can read along as you listen, however the transcript is tragically infested with romaji.

便利だね！

http://smart.fm/apps/podcast

Otherwise, smart.fm seems to be functioning a 壌ot better 統verall 今ow.

The image-Urls from iknow doesn't work. The images doesn't load. Anki isn't blocked by my firewall.

Does somebody have the same problem?

ichigoichie, I'm not sure I fully understand your problem. Is it with images imported from iknow into Anki? If so, maybe it is the copyright issue.

Still wondering if any of y'all are using the iknow custom podcast feature? I am so into it. Sometimes I play the podcasts as background, but if I have my hands free (riding train), I pause the podcast read the kanji/kana, then listen to the audio. Very helpful with reading and listening, in addition to cementing the vocab. I find I am picking up the other words in the sentences besides the intended vocabulary. Of course, this is how the sentence method is suppose to work...duh.

The images aren'r downloaded to the computer, due to the copyright issue.
But the image-URLs should load them temporarily, everytime you review the cards (the same way as browser load pictures, when you have a page with pictures).

I looked around iKnow the other day, interested in practicing with some of the audio sentences, but I couldn't really figure my way around the place. (Most of the info I found on this forum was from before the change, when they had courses instead of lists)

So, do you work from lists, or just do searches for sentences to use?
Do you use their study tools (iKnow, Dictation, etc.), or just the information?
Any tips on finding & using the information would help.

I used to use it a lot, the iKnow application, that is. I liked how it gave you production, recognition, and everything all in one package. Then I kind of got sick of it, and it's sort-of timing algorithm.

Now I just use it to type in words that I want to learn, make a list, and then it finds sentences for me, and I mine them off of the site.

I use all the study tools, but just found the podcasts. The whole site is just amazing to be honest.

I use the whole shibang... it's quite time-consuming, but I think it'll be worth it. I enjoy dictation a lot more than the iKnow app, but they're both useful. Brain Speed is just fun.

Hadn't heard of the podcast feature - thanks for the tip.

Asriel Wrote:I used to use it a lot, the iKnow application, that is. I liked how it gave you production, recognition, and everything all in one package. Then I kind of got sick of it, and it's sort-of timing algorithm.

Now I just use it to type in words that I want to learn, make a list, and then it finds sentences for me, and I mine them off of the site.

Same here, I used iKnow but I don't like it. First of all, their timing algorithm is bad, my retention was horrible compared to Anki. Second of all, I'm kinda wondering if all the various tests are really necessary, feels to me like instead of reviewing a word once and then continue, you have to review the words several times without it adding anything.

I mean, I've already proven that I know the word both ways, do I really have to type it out? Makes little sense to me.

They have great sentences though, good place to mine for Anki.

Thanks for all of the info! I can't see myself using the iKnow, since I would rather put the info in my Anki, but the Dictation and podcasts sound like they are worth looking into. I've been listening to a lot of audio, but I've only been learning Japanese for a few months, so everything is so far above my head I can only pick out an occasional word. I think adding some audio for sentences I can actually understand would be a big help for listening comprehension.

Only problem with the podcasts is that they're from your study lessons. If it created podcasts for selected items (say, an entire list or range from that list), it'll rock out loud. Now, if it does allow that then I apologize.

I too fell out of favor with using iKnow as a memory tool once we were able to fully import into Anki (words, sentences, photos, audio, etc). It's a great source for mining, but to be honest with 6000 (soon 10,000) items you can learn before moving on to new things, I doubt I'd be using for anything. The one exception would be should people submit lists with photos for people or listed items ie Actors, politicians, historical/fictional characters, fish, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc. I'd probably mine those.

Nukemarine Wrote:I too fell out of favor with using iKnow as a memory tool once we were able to fully import into Anki (words, sentences, photos, audio, etc).

Ditto. Especially once we started on the 2001ko lists. iKnow's main draw was the content... But if there's better content -and- a better algorithm... Ouch.

I have been procrastinating with getting an anki account but from what everyone is saying it must produce great results. I can only say that my own level of Japanese has gone up a several notches kind of effortlessly since studying on iknow/smart.fm
I have been spending only an hour a day studying Japanese over the last few weeks though. Since Tibetan was added I have been devoting most of my time with creating Tibetan language lists. I don't think they will get much use though. The nature of those who study Tibetan for meditation purposes is that they have few possessions, including computers. Most of my fellow students here in Kauai don't even have a home, simply sleeping on the beach with a simple sarong for clothing and eating the coconuts and fruit that falls off the trees.
Japanese tourism to Kauai is down 20% from a year ago continuing a steady decline. It is no longer a help to know Japanese here as far as finding better paying jobs. My focus is turning to moving to India in a year or two and teaching English to the monks at the monasteries. I think smart.fm will be a great learning tool for me to learn Tibetan while continuing to learn Japanese just for fun.

bodhisamaya Wrote:I think smart.fm will be a great learning tool for me to learn Tibetan while continuing to learn Japanese just for fun.

Notice that none of us are saying 'Abandon smart.fm!'

Instead, we're merely noting that something is working better for us. (In my case, I -think- it's working better, but I don't know yet... It hasn't been long enough.)

If smart.fm had good content in a sensible order, they'd be King of the Hill in no time. I really wish they'd fix the order... And bring in more basic stuff. -sigh-

wccrawford Wrote:

Nukemarine Wrote:I too fell out of favor with using iKnow as a memory tool once we were able to fully import into Anki (words, sentences, photos, audio, etc).

Ditto. Especially once we started on the 2001ko lists. iKnow's main draw was the content... But if there's better content -and- a better algorithm... Ouch.

Content? No, we're using the content from Smart.FM though we're messing with the order. Smart.FM is king of the content and the ability to share content. Anki just trumps it in many other ways.

Plus, Coscom wrote that they were "intrigued" by smart.fm so they may put their content straight onto smart.fm like those other books sort of kind of do.

Nukemarine Wrote:Only problem with the podcasts is that they're from your study lessons. If it created podcasts for selected items (say, an entire list or range from that list), it'll rock out loud. Now, if it does allow that then I apologize.

Actually I've written a program to do some of this. It requires Windows, .NET 3 framework and a computer voice. This is what it does:

1. Fetches all the MP3s for a list
2. Uses the Windows text to speech function to create English readings of the words and sentences, then encodes them to MP3 with Lame.
3. Puts them together into one MP3 in the order you specify (eg: EN word, JP word, JP word, EN sentence, JP sentence, JP sentence).

100 items is about 30 minutes long. I can generate MP3s from the core lists OK, but haven't really tried any others. If anyone's interested I can upload it somewhere, just leave a comment.

Travis, is there a way to use that program with .mp3's already on my hard drive? Seems a waste to have to download directly from smart.fm if the files are already on hand or from another source.

Also, if we have better TTS voices than the window's sam, does the program allow use of that one?

Nukemarine Wrote:Travis, is there a way to use that program with .mp3's already on my hard drive? Seems a waste to have to download directly from smart.fm if the files are already on hand or from another source.

Yes, it stores all the MP3s in a caching directory. If they already exist it doesn't download them again. So you could just copy them there as long as you haven't changed the filenames. Same for all the English readings.

Nukemarine Wrote:Also, if we have better TTS voices than the window's sam, does the program allow use of that one?

Yes, if you can pick it as a Windows voice it should be fine. At the moment it ignores (or perhaps crashes) if there isn't a Japanese audio, but I'll probably change it to generate those as well if they don't exist (from a different voice).

There are a couple of annoying bugs I want to sort, but if you want I'll send it to you once I've fixed them. At the moment it's not very forgiving with network errors

Same with most people here. I use smart.fm mainly for its sentences, then retype it into Anki card. I found retyping it is better for retention rather than blind import or copy-pasting.

Another note though I think one of the best trait smart.fm has is that it actually manage to bring tonnes of Japanese and English learner together... it does wonder to create community and allow people to help each other learning their language. I simply enjoy this community aspect and being able to also help other people learning English.
Hopefully moving on I'll be able to read their journal as well =) (in japanese of coz)

Nukemarine Wrote:

wccrawford Wrote:

Nukemarine Wrote:I too fell out of favor with using iKnow as a memory tool once we were able to fully import into Anki (words, sentences, photos, audio, etc).

Ditto. Especially once we started on the 2001ko lists. iKnow's main draw was the content... But if there's better content -and- a better algorithm... Ouch.

Content? No, we're using the content from Smart.FM though we're messing with the order. Smart.FM is king of the content and the ability to share content. Anki just trumps it in many other ways.

Plus, Coscom wrote that they were "intrigued" by smart.fm so they may put their content straight onto smart.fm like those other books sort of kind of do.

By 'content' I mean the word order, in this case. The example sentences are nice, but the order of learning is a lot more useful... Especially since very few iKnow sentences are i+1.

Here it is. It's reasonably obvious how it works and I've stuck a GUI on it. I've tested it with the core steps 1..10, otherwise YMMV.

A question for those using iknow for a while:

I am studying Core 2000 Step 1 and 2 and after a couple of weeks, I am starting to see that certain words are now attaining "completed" status. As I continue, do those "completed" words ever turn up again in later iknow lessons? I thought I read something about this on the forum but couldn't find it.

(By the way, I am planning to use the Anki Core 2000 deck to do further review and writing practice later so I will see the words again that way but I was curious how this works in iknow.)