Howdini Frequently Asked Questions
Registering with Howdini is free, quick, and easy. Best of all, it allows you to do a lot of cool things that only a registered user can do. For example, if you register, you can save videos to a favorites list to view later, leave comments on videos, and rate them. You can even download videos to your computer or cell phone.
Being registered gets you involved in Howdini, makes the site easier to use and far more fun. We do not sell or share your personal information with anyone. Click here to register now.
2. Help--I have forgotten my username and password!
Click here to retrieve your username or password. Enter your email address and your login and password will be emailed to you right away.
3. How do I change my user account settings?
There are a couple of ways to do this. From the menu bar at the top, select MY HOWDINI. You’ll be taken to your profile where you can make any changes you need, with the exception of the user name. Once you’ve made the changes, just select Update Profile. Or from the menu to the right of the player, select My Howdini. You’ll be taken to your profile just as above where you can then make the changes you need.
4. The website tells me I need to download the latest Flash Player – why?
To ensure that you get the best experience from Howdini, you need to have at least Flash Player 8 installed on your computer. Most modern computers have this already, but it only takes a few seconds to download if you haven’t. Click here to get the latest version of Flash Player from Adobe.
If you have one of the new Intel Macs, you will get a far better experience by updating your player, even if you have Flash Player 9. It is definitely worth waiting a few seconds to see the Howdini videos in all their glory. Click here to get the latest version of Flash Player from Adobe.
5. The video keeps stopping and starting because I only have a slow Internet connection. What do I do?
Your best option is to click the pause button as soon as the video starts. Let the video load to about a third of the way across, and then you should be able to watch seamlessly without interruption.
At Howdini, we believe that quality is everything, so if you can wait a few extra seconds for the video to load, you’ll be rewarded with a really big video, where you can actually see what’s going on. We believe in high-quality, high-definition video to give you a better experience.
6. The video won’t play or starts to play and then jumps to the end. What do I do?
Try emptying your browser cache. In Firefox, simply select Preferences, then Privacy, and then the “Clear now...” button. If you’re using Safari, select Safari from the menu bar and then select “Empty cache...” For Microsoft IE 6 users perform these steps:
• From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
• Under the General tab, find Temporary Internet files.
• Click Delete Files.
• Check the Delete Files box.
• Click OK twice.
• This will delete everything in your cache.
For Microsoft IE 7 users perform these steps:• Go to Tools
• Select Internet Options
• Go to General Tab: Browsing History section
• Click Delete
• Select Delete Files for Temporary Internet Files
• Select Delete Files for History
7. I’ve just watched a video and want to buy some of the items used in the video. Where can I find information about this?
If there are items we used in the video that are available for purchase, a Shopping List icon will appear below the video player. Select “Shopping List” and another window will open showing you what is available. Just click on the item you would like to buy. A window to Amazon.com will open where you can then shop to your heart’s content!
8. I want to rate a video. How do I do it?
You need to be logged in first to do this. If you’re not already a member and logged in, click here to register – it’s free and only takes a few moments.
If you’re already logged in, click the “Rate this video” link to the left of the rating stars to enable you to give the video a rating. Then simply click on a star to give it that particular rating. Say for instance you want to rate a Howdini as a 5 star, you simply count 5 stars from the left and click on the appropriate star – it’s that easy!
9. How do I comment on a video?
You need to be logged in first to do this. If you’re not already a member and logged in, click here to register – it’s free and only takes a few moments.
If you’re already logged in just select Read/Post Comment above and to the right of the video player. Type your comments in the box and click Post a Comment.
10. How do I save a Howdini video to my favorites list?
You need to be logged in first to do this. If you’re not already a member and logged in, click here to register.
If you’re already logged in just select the Add to Favorites icon below the video player. A bold statement will appear above the video player after the video has been successfully saved to your list.
11. How do I share a Howdini video with my friends?
There are a couple of ways to do this. The first way is to select the Share icon below the video player. A new small window will open, giving you the option to Email, Embed, Link or Post. Select “Email this video”. You’ll be taken to another page where you’ll need to enter your name and the email address of your friend. Send it to several friends at once just by entering their email addresses, separated by commas.
The second way to share with a friend comes at the end of the video. Just select Share and you’ll be taken to another window where you’ll enter information as described above.
12. Can you explain the difference between Embed in your blog, Link to this video, and Post to social sites?
When you embed a video, a visitor to your site or blog will see the actual video sitting there in a player (much like you see on howdini.com) and they can view the video without leaving your site. When you link to a video, a visitor on your site will click on the text link and be taken to howdini.com to watch the video. Posting to a social site simply means adding a link and comments about the video to your “favorites list” on a social bookmarking site. Friends and visitors can then see your favorites or recommended links and select them. It’s a great way to keep track of your favorite Howdini videos and share them with all your friends and family.
13. Okay, now I know the differences, how do I go about embedding, linking, or posting?
It’s really quite simple. Just select the Share icon below the video player. A menu will appear for emailing, embedding, linking, and posting. To embed the video, select Embed in your blog, copy the script inside the box and paste it inside your blog or Website. To link a video, select Link to this video, copy the URL and paste it in your blog or Website. To post the video to a social site, select Post to social site, then chose from the list, which site you want. If not already logged in at the social site, do so and your posting will be complete. Add comments as you see fit, then close that window and come back to Howdini to see and post more videos.
14. How can I suggest a Howdini topic?
Select My Howdini from the menu to the right of the video player then choose Suggest a video. Fill out the form that appears and select Submit Suggestion.
15. How do I do view and print instructions associated with a video?
Select the Instructions icon below the video player and a small window will appear. You can drag this window anywhere on the page so you can view the instructions while still watching the video. When you’re ready to print, just select the Print Instructions icon in that window.
16. How do I do view and print the transcript of a video?
Select the See/Print Transcript icon below the menu on the right of the player and a small window will appear. You can drag this window anywhere on the page so you can view the transcript while still watching the video. When you’re ready to print just select the Print Transcript icon in that window.
17. How do I download a video?
You need to be logged in first to do this. If you’re not already a member and logged in, click here to register. It’s free and only takes a few minutes.
If you’re already logged in just select the Download icon below the menu on the right of the player. A small window will appear with three choices of downloadable files. Just follow the instructions in that window for the type of computer you’re using and select the file type you want.
18. Is it safe to accept cookies from Howdini?
Yes, completely safe. We use cookies so when you arrive back at howdini.com we know it’s you and you won’t have to reenter your login and password information each time. The cookie also identifies whether or not you’ve seen the latest version of our home page montage video. We wouldn’t want you to miss that!
19. What should I do if I find a bug or problem with howdini.com?
Choose Contact Us from the bottom of any page. Fill in the information and a detailed description of the problem you’ve identified. We’ll get it fixed right away.
