MWGblog

Ever since the advent of the iPhone, I’ve always tried to have an iPhone optimized theme for my sites. For the last 2 plus years I’ve been using the iWPhone plugin for WordPress. It did the job with a simple straight forward approach. However recently, I switched to WPtouch. This plugin is a power house. It also provides a feature I’ve always wanted for my mobile themes – Google AdSense integration. More on that in a minute. (Click on images below to see close-ups.)

To start it lets you set up a simple theme and then, when you are ready, you can really dig in an customize all types of features. As you can see, the home page displays a simple chronological listing of your most recent posts (I chose calendar display – it also has thumbnail view), allows for a number of menu functions and a feature to read the first few lines of the post before committing to the next screen.

The post screen displays the whole post and allows for both the submission and display of comments.

This is also where you’ll see the Google AdSense, it dislpays between the title bar and the post content. The Adsense is optimized for mobile content and has a rollover display that pages through the advertiser title, link address and copy elements. If you are curious to take the theme for a spin and see it in action, I’ve set it up on MWGblog.com, PodcastAcademy.com and ReelReviewsRadio.com.

Another nice feature is the theme works for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android smartphones, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm.

As for podcasting, it worked just fine playing audio tracks straight from the sites. Perhaps in a future version some intelligence can be built in to display a small “play” symbol next to the file link. I’d also like to see the ability to add AdSense to the main page perhaps after every 2 or 3 post titles.

I’ve just scratched the surface here. Make sure to check out WPtouch’s great gallery of Features and the whole host of Admin options.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has added the VoloMedia podcast patent to it’s “Most Wanted” style list for its Patent-Busting Project.

I wrote about this patent back when it was first announced. As expected, there is now some movement in challenging it. Specifically, the EFF is looking for examples of prior art: “evidence that the podcasting methods described in the patent were already in use before November 19, 2003.” You can read the whole story over at the EFF.

(I was only half joking when I said I was “adding podcasting/episodic media expert witness to my resume.”) We’ll see what happens.

We’ve started posting more content to the Podcast Academy site. If you’re looking for great presentations about all things podcasting and new media be sure to check it out. Recent episodes include Automating Your Podcast Workflow, Podcasting in Higher Education, Building a Television Studio in your Basement and one from Steve Garfield entitled: Videoblogging in 5 Steps.

BTW if you in need of a great podcasting microphone check this out. Auction ends todays.

Via the Association for Downloadable Media (ADM) website, VoloMedia (formerly PodBridge) explained the patent just issued to them for “podcasting.” I use quotes because they say it is for “podcasting.” Patent #7,568,213 actually covers a “Method for Providing Episodic Media.” You know, like TV and soap operas. My guess is they posted it to the ADM website because no one noticed it on the VoloMedia website. Reading about this recent success just takes me down memory lane.

Remember when…

Adam Curry, Dave Winer and VoloMedia came up with that crazy idea about enclosures in RSS?

Or the time Winer, Christopher Lydon and VoloMedia really put it into practice?

Or when Doug Kaye and VoloMedia chatted and IT Conversations was born?

Or how about when Dave Slusher and VoloMedia spotted Dannie Gregoires’s RSS aggregation software using the agent name ‘podcaster’ and chimed “Podcasting! right on!” and podcasting got its name?

Wow! The memories…

I know when early on Todd Cochrane, Dawn & Drew, Dan Klass, myself and many others were trying to sort out how to podcast it was always the folks at VoloMedia who came to our aid to explain episodic media done right. Heck – they invented it!

All that initial media attention: NY Times, Wired Magazine, USA Today, CNN etc., etc. It was always our basic crew – plus the great guys & gals from VoloMedia.

You couldn’t help but bump into the VoloMedia team in the green rooms at conferences. In fact, I can’t think of a podcast conference I went to where I didn’t see their banners or leave without them forcing a VoloMedia branded shirt and pen on us.

Those VoloMedia folks are awesome! They always covered the bar bill. The stories I could tell.

Those were the days…

How about the time an overly VC funded company tried to carve out an island of potential IP defensibility and future for litigation based revenue via a broad patent?

Good times, good times….

VoloMedia can claim whatever they like, good for them. IP claims like this can be used in many ways. Nuisance litigation, acquisition value etc. etc. Prior art from many listed above will be an issue but it comes down to dollars and sense.

The big loser in my opinion is the ADM. Who in the world agreed to post this to their site? Recent “notes”, “updates” and “clarifications” aside they gave it credibility under their name as an organization, an organization supported by the very people who will likely take issue with it and litigate it. No one paid this any notice until it was on the ADM site. Well played VoloMedia. The ADM folks are all smart people, how they allowed this to happen baffles me.

What am I doing about it? I’m adding podcasting/episodic media “expert witness” to my resume. When in Rome…

Brian Clark, a great friend and partner in GrapeRadio.com was involved in a horrible car accident in Central California last Friday. He is currently in the ICU and has received in excess of 13 units of blood and platelets.

Many of you know Brian as a core member of the Grape Radio podcast, recipient of the 2006 Podcast of the Year award and a 2008 James Beard Award.

Along with myself, Brian is also a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. He is the kind of guy who is always there, ready to help others in their time of need. As a member of our team he responds to calls at all hours of the day and night to help people he has never even met. I hope that we can return the favor.

When asking, “What can we do to help,” the only thing that his wife has requested was for us to give blood. A blood drive has been planned for Wednesday, March 18, from noon to 6pm. For local folks the information is below. Due to limited time slots it is important to have everyone make an appointment on line.

If the 18th will not work or you are out of the area, please contact your local American Red Cross or http://www.givelife.org where you can also donate. If you participate, please email me and let me know or post a comment below. It will be great to tell Brian how many people donated blood on his behalf.

We always hear about the “podcast community”, I would like to show the power of our network.

How you can help:

• Donate (Wherever you can)
• Link to this post. Tweet and Re-Tweet about it, Facebook, whatever your platform may be.

While flowers are nice, blood may save the life of a loved one.

Any help towards this cause is greatly appreciated.

Please keep Brian and his family in your prayers.

Thank you in advance!

Michael W. Geoghegan

Note: Blood Drives aren’t so much about donating for a particular person as much as donating in the name of a person to help support a critical system in saving lives. So donate wherever you can and let us know so we can add it to the tally.

Brian Clark Blood Drive

When:
March 18th
Wednesday
Noon to 6:00

Location:
Tustin Hospital
14662 Newport Ave
Tustin, CA. 92780
Tel. 714. 669-5881

Sign Up:
http://www.givelife.org
Use sponsor code: THMC

*If you are out of the Orange County Area and wish to locate a place to give in your area, please visit http://www.GiveLife.org

Last Friday, the Los Angeles station 97.1 KLSX FM Talk changed formats to some low cost top 40 programming stuff like you get everywhere else. This was the former home of Howard Stern, his morning slot having been taken over by Adam Carolla. Working from home, I’m not a morning drive time person and have heard Adam’s show at most 5 times. But this is not about morning drive time shows.

Interestingly, this morning Adam Carolla released his first podcast. No ads, no requests for money or donations, just him doing his thing. No big news there – “known celebrity/personality releases podcast” is not ground breaking and Adam Carolla is not hurting; he has plenty of other projects and his contract continues to pay him through the end of 2009. What I appreciate is he gets podcasting from the get go. His show is genuine. He even admits to being a bit nervous (all podcasters have been there.) He dishes some dirt, complains a bit and just plain talks to you about what is going on, like a friend would. That is the power of podcasting.

Prior to podcasting how could this have happened? In past years he would have had to go hat in hand to multiple stations to get someone to LET him back on the air. All the time being silent so as to demonstrate he is a “good boy” and not upset the radio gatekeepers at potential future stations. The beauty of podcasting is: if he can keep an audience guess who will be asking him back. (And yes – morning radio pays way more than any podcast opportunity in existence.) Maybe someone will pick him up, maybe he’ll move on to some of the other projects he’s been working on. We’ll see.

No idea how long lived this will be or what will come of it. That’s not the point. Maybe he tries to make money at it or maybe he decides to quit it tomorrow. The point is while he still wants to talk to an audience he values anyone who wants to listen can. No one has to grant him permission to do it or dictate who, what or how it has to be done. For those of us who have been there from the beginning, that is everything podcasting has always been about.

You can find his podcast here.

“Help me, help you!” Remember that line from the movie, “Jerry Maguire?” Well that is the best way I can describe our need for your input and feedback.

With the New Year, comes new resolutions and business plans and we considering putingt together some Podcast Academy programs aimed at helping people reach their 2009 new media goals. But we need your help!

What do you we want from you? Great question! 3-4 minutes of your time to complete a simple 10 question survey. I promise – drop dead simple!

Here’s the link.

What is in it for you? As our way of saying “Thank you,” to anyone who completes the survey in the first 24 hours we’ll give you immediate access to download the complete recordings for Podcast Academy #1. [*** Note: This offer has since expired. ***]

Ready for a history lesson? The Podcast Academy #1 recordings have been offline for a while and trust us, it is fascinating to hear your favorite podcast pioneer opining on what they expect to happen next, along with great timeless hints and tips.

Your answers are completely anonymous, so have full confidence that your true opinion does matter and your identity will never be divulged to anyone (not even us!).

Do yourself (and us) a favor… take the survey now!

Thanks for your participation!

P.S. Why the 24 hour limit? Simple, we’d like to get the answers so we can move on to the next step.

[*** Note: This offer has since expired. However, you can still take the survey if you like***]

Without coming out and saying it in plain English, Podango has basically said get your stuff off our servers ’cause we are going under… When the President of an Internet startup says “we are encouraging you to begin taking all necessary steps to secure your data or begin moving to another hosting provider” you can read the writing on the wall. Looks like bankruptcy. Two years ago, people railed against me for my “Podcasting Is Dead” presentation. I’m not sure how many more examples I need to point to until folks realize – I was dead on. You are in the media business, forget “podcasting” – that is so 2005.

I think this also says something about the “network of shows” model Podango and several other startups were counting on. Grouping together unrelated shows in order to sell advertising across all of them simply doesn’t work. Aside from the fact that none of these companies has a dedicated sales team (something every successful content company has from day one), advertisers simply don’t see value in using a shotgun method to reach their target market. Besides, wasn’t reaching a super-targeted audience exactly what new media promised in the first place? Slapping an old business model on new media was destined to fail.

Podango was started by some great folks, primarily Lee and Doug, both stand up guys. In fact I sold technology to them a few years back. No one takes joy in situations like this, it is a tough spot. They are smart guys and will weather the storm. Look for them on the backside. I expect they’ll be back.

So who’s next? Anyone heard from Mevio (Podshow) lately?

Clearing off my hard drive. I found this.

I put this on my Amazon S3 because the Iowa IPTV site was slow. Here is the original link.

I’m a big fan of my Amazon Kindle. When browsing the Kindle store last night I discovered that my first book is now available on Kindle. If you’re looking for a podcasting book that is Kindle friendly might I suggest Podcast Solutions – Kindle Edition.