MWGblog

I’ve learned over the last few years to simply turn off the RSS reader on the 1st of April. As I posted last year…

This video gives me goose-bumps! 253 miles an hour. Why can’t we get car coverage like this in the US?

I just noticed that Google is listed as an exhibitor for the upcoming Podcast and New Media Expo. (Yes I have a habit of checking occasionally to see who will be exhibiting.) Interestingly, the page they link to from the exhibitor list is Google Adsense for Audio. The linked page covers their radio product, but I don’t think one has to work to hard to figure out what is coming: Adsense for Podcasts. Now there is nothing new here, people have been speculating and discussing this for a while, but the fact that Google has signed on as an exhibitor at a “Podcast Expo” is a rather definitive statement for their plans.

This does bring up the entire question of what a product like this would look like. I have some thoughts on this as I don’t think it can work the way it does for text. Also the transition from radio to podcasts will be interesting. Radio has established formats and systems that are clearly understood by all. Sending an audio ad to a radio station and having them inject it into their automation program is no big deal. Systems like this do not exist in podcasting. For the most part, everyone is doing their own thing. Will this signal the need for structured production platforms for podcasts? Lots of thoughts and questions, perhaps I should do a podcast about it.

I have mentioned before how we are utilizing Amazon Web Services to build out the GigaVox Media platform. I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see that Werner Vogels, Amazon CTO, has been paying attention to our humble little application. Reports from the Future of Web Apps conference in London are that he used our application as an example of the power of Amazon Web Services. [Via Fred Destin & Nodalities] Good way to start the day…

You can check out some fun videos from Steve Garfield and Tony Kahn focusing on Tony’s WGBH/Podcast Morning Stories. [Link to Videos] Tony has been podcasting since the beginning and has some great insight on the power of personal story telling via podcasting. Here is a great presentation he did at our Boston University Podcast Academy. While I am at it, here is link to all the videos, including Steve’s presentation from the same event.

Doug Kaye and I made an appearance on Podcast 411. Rob Walch interviewed us about The Levelator and the plans for GigaVox.

The interviews I did on podcasting for a series on Iowa Public Televison (IPTV) have finally been run. They have also posted the interviews to the web. If you are interested you can find them here.

I am often asked to recount the story behind the original 50th Anniversary Disneyland Podcast. Those who have heard the story know it sounds like a game of telephone. “A guy (Mike Spataro) called a guy ( Greg Cangialosi) who called a guy (K. Todd Storch) who called a guy (Me).” Here is an interview that my friend Greg Cangialosi (guy #2) conducted with Mike Spataro (guy #1) for his new podcast, ROI Radio. For the record, Mike is the unsung hero of the Disneyland Podcast, he brought the opportunity to us.

BTW, Greg did a great presentation at our most recent Podcast Academy. His presentation, which he mentions in the interview, will be available for free on the Podcast Academy channel in the near future. [Link]

If you are a Disney fan, here are the photos from the May kick off event and the July 50th Anniversary.