We ended our vacation (more like what the Brits would call a mini-break) with a trip to the Marin County Farmer’s Market. It is, hands down, the best farmers market in the country. The Sunday one is huge and has been written up in all major newspapers and food magazines. We never missed a Sunday at the market when we lived in Marin County and went quite a few Thursdays as well.
I think, under new rules, everything at the Marin market must be organic. It all looked great, and it gave us a twinge of sadness for our old stomping grounds. But then again, we sure didn’t miss the traffic.
This December, in San Francisco, you will find tucked between the Ferry Plaza and the Hyatt is the Kristi Yamaguchi Skating Rink. There were some people skating, but it wasn’t nearly as alive and happening as the public rinks in New York City. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it’s about 60 degrees here in California and about 6 degrees in New York; I suppose skating is more fun when it’s freezing outside.
We fully intended to walk across the Golden GateBridge, but time and weather were not on our side. Instead, here’s a clip from the passenger’s seat going across The Bridge (for me, the 1000th-plus time) as I talk about the near-tragedy that befell my new car in 1999 as I crossed the bridge.
You can't let the raindrops wreck your day if you're in San Francisco for a few days. Here's a short clip of the action down at one of the city's great magnets for tourism-- Fisherman's Wharf.
Asqew is a great place for a quick lunch or dinner. On Steiner in the Marina, the restaurant features grilled entrees on skewers (hence the name) with side orders of starch such as potatoes or rice. Simple fare, but voted one of The City’s best healthy food places as well as a great spot for folks on a budget.
As a Giants fan, please forgive my long and rambling homage to the beautiful home of the SF Giants. I tour the outside of the park (Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T?) and make a few stops along the way at the statues of Willie Mays and Juan Marichal and even the Acme Chophouse. I then make my way along McCovey Cove and then try and poke my camera inside the right field fence to get a glimpse of the field (which is now set up for the Emerald Bowl).
As my wife said, “This is the earliest I’ve ever gotten to a game.” Yeah, like four months before the gates open.
Editor’s note: I incorrectly state in the video that Juan Marichal was #17 in his playing days. He was #27.
No trip to San Francisco is complete for my family without a trip to Isobune—aka “the boat sushi” restaurant. Located smack in the middle of Japantown, on Post Street, Isobune is the first conveyor belt sushi restaurant in the U.S. The wait for a table can run as much as a few hours; today, we only had to wait 20 minutes.
The sushi comes around on colored plates, each one with a different color border. Each color represents a price per plate. We have spent more than $100 at Isobune, but today we got away for about half that. But then again, it was only lunch.
This week marked the 13th annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy show in San Francisco. For us, it was our second consecutive show. If last year was a 10 (Brad Zimmerman is hilarious as was Judy Gold and Page Hurwitz), this year was a 7.5. I personally thought Gregg Roggell was a riot, but I’d give Betsy Salkind about a 2 or 3 and Wendy Liebman, who alternates between funny and foolish, about a 7.
Here’s a clip of folks filing out of the 5 p.m. dinner show (a seven course meal) before our 8:30 p.m. cocktail show (remember how I said I don’t like Chinese food).
So, every wonder what Jews do on Christmas? Well, this year is a bit unusual given that Hanukkah starts tonight, but it’s such a trivial holiday, we tend to downplay it.
As the Borscht Belt comedians say, most Jews go to Chinese restaurants on Christmas; given my distaste for most Chinese food, we instead went to one of our favorite Vietnamese places in San Francisco (where we came for a few days of R&R) called PPQ.
Not to rub it in to those shivering masses, but we wandered down to the farmers market in Central Phoenix (Central & McKinley Sts. To be specific) in 75-degree weather. Forgetting to move my new JVC camcorder from picture mode back to video mode, all I captured with my new gadget was one picture. Luckily, I pulled out my Sanyo Xacti and shot some footage of a a duet performing at the market.
You will notice my conversation with an admirer of my cool Xacti. Pays to have multiple video cameras on one’s person
After eight months of videoblogging with my Sanyo Xacti, I now have a new camera in my arsenal: the JVC GZ-MG70U. Thanks to the nice folks at JVC, I have a new loaner to see if I can conquer my issues of zoom and low light shooting.
My first clip with my new camera is of holiday lights in my North Scottsdale neighborhood.
There is one oddity with the camera--it shoots MPEG-2 files in a .mod extension. As such, they require a quick conversion. I’ll be interested to see how these files compare to my MPEG 4 clips.
One of my goals for Winter vacation was to improve my iMovie editing skills. This clip is my first step. I figured out how to trim footage, add sound, add effects (in this case, an intentional faded look) and do more with titles.
This footage was shot on the way to LaGuardia Airport in early November. As I shot it, I imagined something similar to the opening of the Sopranos. Today, I think of it as a homage to those in New York who suffered the past few days through a nasty transit strike.
The Podsafe music is from Busted Frog; the track is called .22
In the most recent installment, Allen and Mike talk about PC-based media-editing applications vs. web-based editing tools; AOL-Google and media overload. Oh, and we audibly cringe at the SFGiants new, but really really old, outfield.
My first day of Winter vacation took us to North Central Phoenix where we were delivering some holiday gifts to a middle school. Imagine my surprise when we saw a group (flock, gaggle, pack?) of chickens wandering around someone’s yard. When we circled the block, the chickens (didn’t get close enough to see if they were hens or roosters) had made their way to the alley behind the house. Guess it beats going to the supermarket for fresh poultry.
Yahoo! launched a new search shortcut today, the details of which can be found on the Yahoo! blog. Essentially, it allows you to type in “shortcut” in the search box to take the stress off of your tired fingers. A keystroke here, a keystroke there…maybe you can ward off carpal tunnel a few more years.
My favorite shortcut is the one that literally starts with a bang (!). One that starts with a bang can take you directly to a given website. I made one called !Wot that takes me to this site.
Maybe I am missing something. I’d much rather have Yahoo! incorporate these shortcuts with Konfabulator to allow me to create graphical desktop shortcuts that avoid the search box altogether.
A year ago, I started the project that has manifested itself in this Website, an odd assortment of media thoughts, rich media content (Podcasts and Videoblogs) and a bunch of other notions. This site has allowed me to grow in my knowledge of how things work and how they can be applied to new opportunities.
The next step in my growth has two components: 1) We (Mike McGuire and I) have to make our MADCasts sound better. I’ll match our content against any other technology Podcast on the Web, but the sound quality…well…is less than desirable (I am being polite). If we are able to up our production game, I think we could have more widespread recognition. 2) I want to create a few five-to-seven “TV programs.” Along those lines, we are fairly far along in turning our garage into a TV studio (it’s a little chilly out there, though) and I have my next video camera lined up. I have two workable ideas for programs and am close to “storyboarding” them. The year of shooting videoblog segments along with some previous experience in producing and hosting a cable TV program called “On Video” (circa 1987-1988) allows me the visualize my new “programs.”
I think the five-to-seven minute format will be the next great thing. It allows for two or three commercials (one pre roll, one at the end and maybe one on the middle) and tells a good story. It’s the right length to be viewed in real time, downloaded and enjoyed on an iPod or viewed in the workplace for someone wanting a quick break or diversion. As much I don’t believe in the mobile phone as a viewing medium, this length will also work in that venue.
I have no time frame for my first segment of my first program. I hope to have at least one done by the end of January. Stay tuned.
If published reports are true, the intrigue surrounding the AOL-MSN-Time Warner-Google courtship has reached a conclusion: Google will buy a 5% stake in AOL and remain AOL’s primary source for advertising. MSN becomes the bridesmaid and Yahoo! (who was never seriously in the mix) moves along its separate path of Internet media dominance.
There are many moving parts here:
1. Google may covet AOL’s large base of email and IM users. The conversion process from aol.com addresses to gmail and Google Talk accounts could be relatively easy given Google’s technological savvy. Such a move puts Google on par with Yahoo! And MSN (Hotmail) in the vital path of creating a communications layer that allows users to store, subscribe to and share content.
2. Given AOL.com’s path toward becoming the leading video portal, Google will accelerate its play in the business of extending its ad platform to deliver ads to video clips and Podcasts. This would challenge such players sas Lightningcast and Eyeblaster in this space. Also, it puts pressure on Yahoo! to move quickly to extend its ad platform.
3. This puts AOL’s dial-up business into the spotlight. With this move further down the .com path, what is the company to do with its approximately 19 million dial-up customers? A likely scenario is for AOL to offer its dial-up customers on a discounted basis to Verizon, SBC, etc.. and allow the telcos to offer former dial-up users their “768” DSL service that sells for $14.95 a month. There are some issues here given some of the existing relationships between Yahoo! & MSN with the telcos.
Yahoo! is not likely to respond with anything major. For MSN, in the midst of another reorg which again puts its Portal strategy in play, we’re likely to see an acceleration in its Windows Live efforts to keep pace with its competitors.
Interesting. This sets the stage for the AOL-Microsoft relationship in which AOL uses “Fremont” as its classified platform or a hook-up with Google in which they use Google Base. Stay tuned!
AOL will no longer support personal classified listings, but will instead become an aggregator. The company issued a statement in response to an article in AuctionBytes Newsflash on Wednesday that referenced an email from a partner that AOL was closing its classifieds site altogether (http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m12/i14/s00).
AOL spokesperson Cindy Harvey sent a statement regarding the AOL Classifieds Marketplace: "Due to a strategic shift in direction pertaining to our Search & Directional Media plans, the AOL Classifieds Marketplace will no longer support personal classifieds listings and as of December 31st will transition into an aggregator of listings from leading industry partners."
AOL's current classifieds section, accessible at http://classifieds.aol.com, consists of a combination of personal listings from AOL members and aggregators that provide listings to AOL. Now, AOL will become a sole aggregator of listings from leading industry partners. Harvey declined to be more specific
After seeing the top searches from Yahoo! for 2005, I think it’s time for me to go on vacation and get-reoriented to the real world. There are no top searches from the world of politics, critical world affairs or even such events as Hurricane Katrina. It makes you wonder if anyone over the age of 15 searches the Web.
When my 72-mile commute from MarinCounty to San Jose came to an end, my car-radio relationship with Howard Stern came to an end. Love him or hate him, he got me from my home to work in the wee hours and distracted me from the horror of my ride.
Today marks the last time I’ll be listening to Stern, live on K-ROCK, from my hotel in NY. That has also been a bit of traditional for me as a way of kicking off my travel work day off with a laugh. Howard is done (for now) on over the air radio in two days. In fact, Yahoo! will have a special online event to mark the day.
I toyed with the idea of buying a Sirrus radio, but decided against it. I just cannot imagine listening to Howard in my home in the morning. I have no commute, so his time on air does not coincide with any time I am in my car. So, like many others, today I’ll be saying goodbye to Howard Stern.
One of the issues with the Marriot Marquis in New York was its lousy elevator system. Well, that’s not true anymore. Check out this video—The Marriott Marquis has gone high tech!
In this edition of the MADCAST, Allen and Mike discuss tagging and consumer-to-consumer taste sharing and their importance to the next stage of growth in media industries.
After eight months of videoblogging, I have decided to duplicate my videos on a site dedicated to videoblogging—What’s On Tonight: The Videoblog. I have tried to embed the videos on this site, but (as much as I love Blogware) it appears semi-impossible. The embedded player is crucial because my MPEG-4 videos are challenging for many people to see. So far, I using Vsocial as my embedded host because I think the transcoding (from MPEG-4 to Flash) is great with no loss in quality. I will continue to post hem here, but will also post them on my new site. I might do osme exclusives on the new site as well. Stay tuned.
After a year and a half of waiting, we finally got to the Barrio Café for dinner. It has been voted the best Mexican restaurant in Phoenix, and indeed it’s worthy of the honor. Here’s one of the restaurant’s great charms—tableside preparation of guacamole.
Yes, I know my camera is low-light challenged. I am working on that….
Note:
After eight months of videoblogging, I have decided to duplicate my videos on a site dedicated to videoblogging—What’s On Tonight: The Videoblog. I have tried to embed the videos on this site, but (as much as I love Blogware) it appears semi-impossible. The embedded player is crucial because my MPEG-4 videos are challenging for many people to see.
Interesting story. China is selecting MPEG-4 as its offocial IPTV coding standard. No doubt this will persaude software firms to provide better editing tools as well as a reasonable DRM standard.
The number of sites that allow you to upload and share videos is exploding. In addition to Grouper, check out Boltfolio. Wonder why Google and Yahoo! are dragging their heels on this?
Am I in the minority of those people who will not watch TV (of any form) on my mobile phone? That means I have to pay for the phone, the service and the content. With the video iPod, I buy the device and then pay for the content I want and view it on a decent-sized miniscreen and then can play it through my TV when desired. I am missing something here.
CBS has announced that several of its top shows, including CSI and Survivor, will begin producing video clips for the Verizon VCast mobile video package. Besides its top prime time hits, CBS is releasing video snippets from The Late Show with David Letterman, Entertainment Tonight, CBS Evening News, and several other shows to the burgeoning mobile video on demand service starting this month.
This is the first CBS content to appear on VCast, which launched early last year with clips from CNN and ESPN, along with specially produced "mobisodes" of the hit series 24. Like the majority of VCast content, CBS' content will be edited into short form clips, which are generally considered as most appropriate for the mobile environment.
Cool move by CBS to put March Madness on the Web. Advertisers will be lining up.
It's the fourth year that CBS Sports will offer the mostly regional games--ones that wouldn't appear across the whole network. Beginning with the first games March 16, there will be up to 56 NCAA men's tournament games available on the Web through the regional semi-finals. For the first three years, including last year, it was a premium service through the college sports site CSTV.com.
This year, CBS has shifted NCAA March Madness on Demand to an ad-supported service in an effort to gain more viewers. The move is in line with CBS' online strategy in news and elsewhere.
"We felt it was time to continue the evolution to an ad-supported free model that will be the biggest growth down the road," said Michael Aresco, senior vice president of programming at CBS Sports.
In addition to the games, there will be streaming video available of news conferences before and after the games, as well as interviews with players and coaches. Games in the Web viewer's local markets will be blacked out, much as the NCAA tournament coverage on a DirecTV subscription package.
Some more thoughts on NBCU content on the video iPod:
There has to be search. I want to find the episode of “Dragnet” where Joe Friday said, “No one said that to me ma’am.” (My wife’s favorite Dragnet line). Rich media search can do that.
I don’t think all shows should be priced the same, but for starters it’s fine…the marketplace will show these Media Titans what sells and what doesn’t (and rejigger pricing to suit). I don’t think an old episode of “Adam-12” is worth the same as last week’s “Monk.”
There has to be recommendations to sort through the titles. Just like celebrity music mixes or mixes from music aficionados, I’d like to see (Tv critic) Tom Shales’ top 10 episodes of “Law and Order.” Or maybe even (former Tv critic) my top 10 episodes of “Hill Street Blues. (wink, wink). That will get TV shows to fly off the shelf.
By the way, with NBC-U, I’d like to see “The Rockford Files,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Cosby,” “I Spy” and (of course) “Seinfeld.”
The best is yet to come. Welcome to a new world order for TV. Apple is at the forefront. No suspirse!
Episodes of Monk on the video iPod? Are you kidding me? I think I could fly from here to Timbuktu watching Monk on the video iPod. A great show that is even better on second viewing (and third, fourth...) Now about that battery life….
Who didn't see this coming? I want a daily feed of "Pardon the Interruption" for my video iPod. Also "Baseball Tonight."
Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN cable sports network is mulling a deal to distribute some television programs on Apple's iTunes music and video service, possibly joining its corporate cousin in a landmark deal, ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said on Monday.
Although ESPN has not held talks with Apple Computer Inc. yet, the top rated cable sports network plans to offer its diet of original shows and game clips to "any pipe, any device," Bodenheimer said at the UBS global media conference.
"We're not just in the TV business anymore ... We're going to the table as a sports media company," Bodenheimer said.
Being an early adopter sort, I felt compelled to try CNN Pipeline this morning. CNN Pipeline is CNN’s new pay news service delivered via the Web. Being a thrifty sort, I am on the 99 cent “for the day” trial.
Some early thoughts:
If you want the desktop player, it’s a funky download requiring some sort of Microsoft runtime to be installed. I am not a big fan of such things, but I figured the collateral damage would be slight.
The picture is the size of an index card which is pretty decent. I don’t see a full screen mode anywhere.
There are many viewing options including a mini mode that is relatively unobtrusive. I cannot figure how to get the player to persistently stay on the screen no matter what else I am doing (checking email, using Word,, etc..)
There is a cool feedback feature that populates an email to allow you to share your thoughts. Gotta figure there will be an AIM client soon (AOL and CNN are both in the TWX family)
There are four pipes (channels) running at the same time on varying themes. Right now, there is an international story, something on the White House, weather forecasts and a general news feed. The anchor appears to be dedicated to the Pipeline as opposed to a rebroadcast of an existing feed.
There are no commercials
There are lots of on-demand feeds and segments on such topics as sports, entertainment, business, etc..
On a 0-10, it gets a solid 7.5 so far. There’s nothing better than watching a live feed of heavy snow falling in Virginia when it’s sunny and 65 at your home.
As Mike and I mentioned on our most recent MADCast, we are crazy about Yahoo!’s new RSS feed reader which is baked into the Beta client of the new Yahoo! Mail (hopefully coming soon to a PC near you).
Today, if you go to Inform, you can create your own customized RSS feeds (and, of course loading them into your Yahoo! mail client). You need to do a search at which point you can follow a few steps and generate an RSS feed. You cut and paste the feed script into your reader of choice, and away you go. It’s especially useful for topics that don’t have a natural RSS feed. Worth a try.
If you haven't played with Film Loop, here's your chance: I took some "regular" pictures of the canines (and their owners) at the Reingdoggie Parade, and you can see them in a Film Loop by clicking here.
If there’s a funky dog event being held anywhere within driving distance of our home, it looks like we’re there. Today, we went to the second annual Reindoggie Parade in downtown Scottsdale. Dogs and their owners from all over the area, dressed in their best holiday costumes, came to the HiltonVillage parking lot to compete. I think the winners in the various categories got some sort of trophy (presented by Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross), but we didn’t stick around for that.
Free Wi Fi with some level of sponsorship is the future. I think I’ve mentioned it on this blog many times. Newspapers MUST get into this act. Imagine a free Wi Fi service on a commuter train with an ad strip (as mentioned for the Sunnyvale deal) or even a branded strip (ala Film Loop) that runs across the bottom of the screen that has the latest news headlines from the "paper." Information providers better move fast because there is going to be only so much real estate available on the screen of free Wi Fi users.
It's the end of the week and we decided we just had to do another 'cast. Highlights of todays 'cast -- Yahoo's RSS-enabled e-mail and Michael Robertson's latest shot across the music industry's bow.
Maybe this ad exec is trying to soften the blow that radio--as we knew it--is fading fast.
"Radio is at the center of a perfect storm of technological threats," said David Verklin, chief executive of media buying agency Carat Americas. "It has to reinvent itself."
I don’t see anything wrong with Tivo allowing consumers to search for ads. The issue is what happens when you find those ads? Given the reduced cost of acquisition, those who search should be given an offer or discount or something for their trouble. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Maybe I am prejudiced as a former newspaper reporter, columnist and digital media exec, but I say you can never count the print guys out. Yeah, yeah.. I know I am cheerleading, but take a look at the new TV-video effort from The Virginian-Pilot (a Landmark Communications company). It’s cool and light years ahead of others in their sector. Keep in mind, though, Landmark was way ahead of the pack back in the early ‘90s in the world of newspaper voice and then Internet services. From an innovation standpoint, this effort then is no big surprise.
