No more Wire Hangers!

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist the title…)

Lifehacker had this little link to an idea to make a mic stand out of a wire clothes hanger. I’m not sure it would do much for sound quality (maybe add some rubber bands to suspend the mic & another hanger with a nylon stocking over it…) but it’s a quick & dirty solution.

as we’re now pro podcasters, maximize your voice quality

I discovered this – free online seminar –

here on the “Pro” section of the Apple site – The Podcast Recipe: Producing a Successful Show.

Tips to help you:

perform

produce

promote

Should your tastes run differently, try Let There Be Light about Brian Eno. Or King Britt’s Seeing Music.

Podcast Hosting. A Start.

Aaarrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I’m not speaking pirate.
What’s frustrating me is researching free, or low cost, podcast hosting for class. My first thought was using ourmedia.org, as Dean and I had discussed. But the last few times I’ve gone to the site, the site no worky. Can’t have that.

Of course, this being the era of excess on the internet, everybody and their dog (or cat, no discrimination here) have free, or low cost, podcast hosting. But as I looked into our options, I was swamped by choice, too many choices, swimming in choices, drowning in choice.

So, as a public service to you guys, I am collecting a mix of links for you to review. Some are podcast host links. Others are articles relating to podcast hosting. This is just a start. If you find something you like, or dislike, post it via comments here or as a separate post on the blog for all to view. There is a good chance as I find, or learn, new stuff about podcast hosting I will update this post, probably through the comments section — so browse the comments!

And now, the links …

Switchpod.

(free: 200 mb per month; other plans range from $5 for 500 mb to $30 for 2000 mb; does not accept video uploading, $5 plan does; unmetered bandwidth.)

How to Podcast.

(includes tutorial on setting up an Our Media account.)

Podcast Spots.

(use their software to record and upload your podcast to the site.)

(demo for Podcast Spots.)

Shockpod.

(90 mb of space, 30 mb per-file upload limit, add inserted into RSS feed.)

Libsyn.

(paid site, ranging from $5 to $30 a month; $5 is for 100mb of storage. check out site to see how to measure what space you will need for hosting. have heard the site is slow, but Libsyn is an early player in this game and has respect for delivering quality at low cost.)

PodOmatic.

Podcast Hosting Services List.

(from Dave’s Imaginary Sound Space)

Odeo on Podcast Hosting on the Cheap.

Another listing, fro TipMonkies. Note: comments were late 2005, so some of these services may have changed.)

PodBean.

(free hosting, 100 mb space, audio and video.)

O’Reilly Media article on the subject.

Nophus.

Jellycast.

(from England, an interesting possibility; link to FAQ.)

CyberEars.

(more of a premium service.)

Okay to Play.

(podcast  hosting comparison chart; I have no idea when this was done but it might provide some basic information to compare.)

A “Cone-icopia” of ‘Casts

OK. I know. Bad pun. But Cone did send in a bunch of interesting links that you will be interested in. Here goes.

Week Three — PODCASTS / VIDCASTS RECS:
(iTunes link followed by website URL)

live concerts, new music, west coastmusic interviews
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=76030848
http://www.kexp.org/podcasting/podcasting.asp

music interviews
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150907955
http://music.aol.com/artists/the-interface

music / mashups
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=128879031
http://web.mac.com/diplo1978/iWeb/mad%20decent%20radio%20worldwide/Podcast/Archive.html

quick tips for designers
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=130134744
ttp://www.rookiedesigner.com/quicktips/

tutorials
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=79932353
http://www.photoshopkillertips.com/

silly, but music too
|http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73331701
http://wichitarutherford.libsyn.com/
http://www.5minuteswithwichita.com/

great training
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=121879948
http://www.lynda.com/

Uploading Images

Several students have asked how to upload an image in WordPress. At first I was going to respond, then I decided to wait and that you should figure it out, but I’m feeling charitable. So here you go. If anybody needs help with Blogger, find a fellow Blog-him or Blog-her in class and get some help.

Uploading an image

go to upload tab below

click browse / find image you want to upload

add title and description, if you want

click on upload

see thumbnail of image

options are: using thumbnail, not linked, send to editor, delete, close options

if you want a small image, use thumbnail

if you want the size the image is, click on using thumbnail to toggle to using original

click on using original

you can link or not link the image.  toggle to linked to image.

click on send to editor (this publishes the picture)

done

Tip for Paid Content

If you are ever searching the web and stumble upon an article you want to read — but lo and behold it’s from a content subscription site like the Wall Street Journal or Economist — get the name of the article and run a Technorati search. Chances are someone out there has an account, linked to the full article, or has a download available, and you can get the article you need at no cost. Of course, this does not work every time, but it’s not bad. If you find yourself using one of these sites frequently, consider subscribing, or having your office subscribe, but for one-off stuff, why pay $80 a year for one article?

Increasing Blog Traffic

Professor Terry, always looking out for us, send me this link on increasing blog traffic, which I suggest we all read and familiarize ourselves with. I’ve included a link to Seomoz.org in the Blogroll’s Links of Interest.

Some ideas I find important, many of which we have talked about — ever so briefly — in class.

• Write Title Tags with Two Audiences in Mind
• Participate at Related Forums & Blogs
• Tag Your Content
• Launch Without Comments (and Add Them Later) [an interesting thought]
• Link Intelligently
• Go Beyond Text in Your Posts
• Cover Topics that Need Attention
• Use a Human Voice
• Reveal as Much as Possible
• Create Expectations and Fulfill Them
• Build a Brand

Jeffrey’s Links

Jeffrey Miranda sent me a note about adding a blog to the class blogroll. It’s Jeffrey Miranda’s Sketch Blog. Dummy me, I thought he wanted to replace the first blog with this one, when what he wanted was to include this blog on the list. Duh.

But this brings up one thing to note: Jeffrey is obviously working on a strategy between his blogs, yet he doesn’t link between them or explain anywhere what the differences are and his purpose for doing so. At a minimum, I’d put a link to your sketch blog on Panoch’s Gallery, and likewise: a link for Panoch’s Gallery on Panoch’s Sketches.

New Marketing Blog and Podcast

Blogging and podcasting may seem new to most people, but companies are quickly catching on and are using these techniques in their latest campaigns. Thanks to Kyle 2.0, a former grad student in the ATEC program, we have the Jaffe Juice blog and podcast. It’s worth checking out if you are interested in marketing, advertising, new media, social software, among others.

Jaffe Juice also makes good use of Google maps and frappr. Scroll through the blog and check it out.

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Interviewing

One of my favorite sites is 43 Folders, which is Merlin Mann’s blog about personal productivity, life hacks, and ways to make life better. Today there is a story, with links, on interviewing skill from interviewing guru, John Sawatsky. It’s worth the glance at some of the tips as you embark on your blog. I’ve found through the years that interviewing skills are not the domain of the media, that all of us can benefit from being better interviewers, particulary in our jobs but especially now with the rise of new media.

43 Folder on The Sawatsky Method (Other links can be found via this blurb.)

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