Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Itunes is here and I like it......

Ok so with only a day to play with Itunes 4.9, I am happy as a listener, and yet to see how this will impact me as a producer. My podcast (iclectic podcast) was not on the list although I am listed at several of the major directories. I though I would be in Itunes because I got a ping from them on my feed a week ago, but I guess I didn't qualify some how. I did manually add my feed, but they don't indicate the qualification or response mechanism.

Where does it leave me as a podcaster? I will soon find out I hope.

Getting use to the functionality and sync with my ipod so I will reserve my final analysis for later.

Cheers

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Why Flickr Rocks

Many of you may use flickr or have heard of it. Most people that blog, use rss or have a pulse know that flickr is the ultra cool photo sharing site that blows any other photo site way. Flickr is a great way to share photos and find photos that are relevant due to the tagging system they use. I have found a few non-traditional ways to use flickr that might or might not be good.

You can use Flickr to:

1. See what's going on with the current ubercool event like the geeky "Gnomedex". There must of been 100 pictures up on flickr with the tag Gnomdex the day of sign up. I got to experience the conference 1800 miles away.

2. This one is theory: catch your significant other doing something they are not suppose to. So lets say she/he goes out to a concert and lots of people are tagging pictures with that concert name. You scan the pictures and happen to see him/her with someone else. Far fetched but it could happen.

3. Find yourself in someone else's pictures. Like playing where's waldo with tags.

4. Visit the world......(search for tags like "Florence" "Rome")

5. Find some amazing pictures........It's a great community......

Microsoft: So what's the big deal???? (cool shoes though)

Anyone who follows blogging, podcasting or RSS knows by now that Microsoft has embraced RSS in versions of their new software. This was the big announcement this weekend that got Scoble all excited and even had Dave Winer embrace the big M. SO what's the big deal? Apple is way ahead of MS on this. They added RSS support in Tiger a few months ago, and will have podcasting support in Itunes next month. This is the same old late to the party but use the maglomania Marketing Machine to woo the crowd. Is it good news for RSS? Yes. But do we need Microsoft to embrace technology in order for it to be legit?

I am glad MS is working with the community to get the RSS in Windows longhorn right. I just think that creating hype is just smoke and mirrors for the geek crowd. The real story will be if and when they release products with RSS, will it be useful.

RSS is a great technology and we have to thank Dave for all his work but lets not get too excited because Microsoft is on board. They may change RSS for good.

ibook: to buy or not to buy, that is the question

I read the Apple rumor sites on an daily (more like hourly, thanks dave for RSS) basis and have been trying to get a beat on what is next for Apple's product line. I want to get an ibook, but is well overdue for a refresh. I bought my G5 IMAC in November and it now has been refreshed since. So I am reluctant to buy a computer that I will get a better value for in a few weeks, but if I keep waiting for technology then I will always be waiting.

My friend bought a refurbished 12in Ibook this week an I am tempted to do the same, but I have a feeling next week there will be news. I know they are going to announce something on or before July 8, but can I wait??????

I am not worried about the Intel stuff. That is a year away and in that time if I feel I need a new computer (read only MAC from now on) then I will see what products are available then. But for now, I want to have a laptop and the ibook seems right for me.

What to do????????

I will wait until July 7th and if nothing changes I will get a new Ibook.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Soundseeing tour of drive from LA to SLO

This iclectic podcast features a soundseeing tour of my drive from Los Angeles to San Luis obisbo California. I talk about the great drive, podcasting, Audible.com and the movie Sidways which was filmed through the area I drive through.

For more information on the Sidways locations and wineries, please check out this link


Get podcast here at
Direct Link

Friday, June 24, 2005

Audible Junkies get your fix

It looks like audible.com is getting itchy with all the podcasting news lately. They just started a summer sale with all audio books just $9.95. Good deal and very addictive. If you are like me, you joined audible to get $100.00 off an ipod, the deal they currently have, and in the six months I have been a member, I have purchased many times that in audio books. The subscription is a deal at $15.00 a month, but after you start listening to audio books, you want more.

Podcasting is free and there is good content out their but a well written audio book is a treat that is well worth the money especially if you buy books when they are on sale. There is a lot of buzz in the sphere about audible and what is next. I am confident they will adapt to the marketplace. I know I enjoy audio books and technology makes it easier to manage the content.

Anyone who reads or enjoys podcasts will like to try audiobooks. I defiantly recommend audible for that service.

postescript - Itunes currently has a deal with audible to distribute their content through ITMS. Don't know how it works when there is a sale, I always buy trough audible though.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Doc is spot on

Doc has an interesting post about IT Conversations. Check it out here. I can't agree with him more. IT conversations is worth it's weight in gold (whatever that is?).

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Why new itunes will kick Ipodder's ass

I have been using both ipodder and ipodderx for several months now and like both to some degree, but there needs to be an easier way to get podcasts I want. Usually I check Itunes to see what downloaded and sometimes I have to start Ipodderx to get it going. I also tried to add a OPML (thanks dave) file from ipodderx to ipodder, but it wouldn't import.

Each software team is working hard to add functionality and ease to their respective software packages, but I think if Apple gets it right, then the podcatching clients will be a footnote in the history of podcasting.

I listen to many podcasts and need a better way to oganize what I have listened to and what is in the queue. Integration into a flexible app like itunes is the key. And for those of you that downloaded bad apple plug-in for itunes and hosed your host file, be patient. We all have faith in Jobs and his feel for what the market wants.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Playing with Democracy

I just posted a comment on a MSN Spaces account for a user in China. I posted the word Democracy and I was suprised it wasn't deleted. This spaces account must have orginated in US? wierd?

If you don't know what I am refering to check this article out:

Scoble

Here is the post I did


Random Blog


And to see the article on Boing Boing about blocking profanity click here

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Scoble at Reboot

Anyone who follows scobleizer will like this one

Friday, June 10, 2005

Podshow Finally Has Content

Looks like Adam has been keeping his lap monkey's busy and PODSHOW.COM has some content up:

You can check it out here:

http://www.podshow.com/index.html

Do you care?

Friday, June 03, 2005

Why Podcasting should be Podcasting

I have seen many comments and postings in the blogosphere that don't like the term "Podcasting" for the publishing of audio content on the Internet. Podcasting has an obvious bias towards the ipod as the delivery mechanism for this content, but the truth is you can listen to these mp3 audio files on almost any device or media. I make the argument that "podcasting" has been used by the inventors, creators, listeners and media since the phrase was coined last year. With all the buzz and rapid movement of the community, podcasting has made its way into the mainstream. An important foundation of this art form is that there is a generally accepted convention in how we communicate. I know people may use the terms "audio Blogging", "audio magazine" or if Bill Gates controlled the world "Longhorncasting", but podcasting fits. It is unique, and has the kind of recognition as "blogging".

So there will be the critics that say it does not really describe the activity or art form very well and there is that Apple bias that most window users just can't get over, but Podcasting is a brand and a brand usually doesn't describe the product very well.

Think about how making photocopies turned into "Xeroxing" back when that technology was new. Did the fact that people (wrongly according to Xerox--see below) used the phrase Xerox make Xerox sell more copiers or put Toshiba or any other Photocopy machine manufactures out of business? I think not.

I don't think Podcasting will go away soon and I think podcasting will stick as the term to describe the activity, so all you windows fans or Apple haters out there just enjoy the technology and keep listening to great content.

Looking up Xerox I found this tid bit on what Xerox thinks of the use of their brand name to make photocopies:

"The success of the Xerox brand has led to the terms "a Xerox", "to Xerox", "Xeroxed", and "Xeroxing" being used synonymously for the product/act of photocopying. The company does not condone such uses of its trademark, and is particularity concerned about the ongoing use of Xerox as a verb as this places the trademark in danger of being declared a generic word by the courts. The company is engaged in an ongoing campaign to convince the public that Xerox should not be used as a verb. To this end, the company has written to publications that have used Xerox as a verb, and has also purchased print advertisements declaring that "you cannot "Xerox" a document, but you can copy it on a Xerox Brand copying machine."

Although Podcasting does not use a trademark, Apple, suehappy lately, may go after all you people using the term podcasting saying "you cannot Podcast a show, but you can listen to a audio file on a Apple Brand [I]pod".

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Almost Friday and still no podcast

I know I don't have a big following if at all, and my podcasts have been sporatic at best, but I am getting it together. This weekend I will have a podcast in the can and on the site. I have been listening to many podcasts. Its nice to see Podshow has the gillmore daily the return of Steve Gillmore and hopefully the Gang. I've also been listening to Dave and Adam and of course the great content from IT conversations.

It has been an interesting time since I have been back. At first I was just living like jello, but now I am back having ideas about how technology will change the world. I know I am by no means a expert on any subject but myself, but I am much like a sponge letting my Bloglines RSS buddy bring my knowledge from the world and the blogosphere.

I am excited about what is happening in the blog and podcast communities and the future of the next big thing is still yet to happen. How all this applies to my living or making a living is still in the amature stage, but from how Lawrence Lessig defines amature, I may want to continue that state - http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/cat_bad_code.shtml

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Changing how we deliver content

I am looking into budget options for my podcast feeds and using blogger as one of my tools as a front end for my daily stuff and podcasts. I used tripod as an experiment early on because it was free and I wanted to see how I could set up a podcast. I swithed to a test .mac account in order to upload more data. I found ourmedia from listening to a podcast from IT conversatoins (www.itconversations.com). Our media stores all kinds of content for anyone who wants to sign up. Partnered with internet archive, our media stores tons of stuff for creative people that want access to this media with little entry cost. Larry Lessig's concept of free culture rings true, at least for now. We will see how it will pan out, but for me I am willing to try it. But I always seem to remember the old saying " You get what you pay for" and since I am not paying for anything I don't expect to get much.......

CHeck out our media at www.ourmedia.org. A crappy UI, but I know they are working on in.

Nice Weekend but not too productive

I had much to do on this holiday weekend, yet I didn't get much done. Going out and relaxing at the beach took me away from research and podcasting time. I need to make a podcast this week. I just ordered the Iriver 795 for my Mobil rig so I can use that this weekend to make my weekly podcast.

Doing a lot of listening of podcasts like DSC and MCN and a lot of ITconversations. Learning about RSS and the blogosphere is interesting because before podcasting I really never paid attention to bleeding edge stuff. I am using my Bloglines RSS feeds to learn what is up in the world and I love it.

Its official: I am an information Junky......

I have some thoughts on podcasting, but I will wait to make it clear, besides who am I? Do I have a right to observe and make predictions on the future of tech? How do you become a Technorati or pundent of all things cool.

I don't know but I have a lot of work to do........Life is fun...I just need to make time for my written word and of course podcasting because I know you all miss my random Iclectic podcast....

Cheers for now.....