The Gadget Show #051 (MP3 – 18.3MB – 53min 20sec)

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David Gray returns to the show for another Wannabe Geek session to talk about how to start a podcast. David recently launched the Global Geek Podcast, and so comes with a head full of useful information for a newbie podcaster.

Questions

- I have a great idea for a podcast, what makes a great idea anyway?

- What hardware do I need to get my own podcast happening?

- What software should I download or buy that would be useful?

- What is a bit rate?

- What is KHZ in my audio player?

- How should I record my podcast?

- Can I record Skype calls and are there any alternatives to buying a Mac?

- How should I record my podcast?

- OK Podcast recorded, what are the most important elements for a new
podcaster to get right, even though there will be things that are not right?

- What file format should I export the podcast as?

- What bit rate should the file be encoded at?

- What size should I expect my podcast to be and what do consumers think
is a reasonable size?

- So I have this GREAT Podcast I supose that I need to host it
somewhere, what are my options?

- If I want something fancy like a domain name how do I go about getting
one of those?

- What should I expect to pay for hosting?

- What are some ways of developing an audience and traffic on my site?

- What would a reasonable number of listeners be for my first couple of
shows?

- Can I make money from podcasting?

- Where is podcasting going and is there a place for my small production
in the future?

For those wanting to see what podcast rig I started with last year, you can find it at Flickr here, and the new rig here.

The Gadget Show #050 (MP3 – 9.2MB – 26min 40sec)

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I heard Craig Newmark on a recent podcast the other week, and decided that I’d love to hear his perspective on the current state of the Internet. With much talk about web 2.0, and social software, I thought he’d have some interesting insight into both because of his craigslist.org service.

For those not aware, Craigs List describes itself as “Local community classifieds and forums - a place to find jobs, housing, goods & services, social activities, a girlfriend or boyfriend, advice, community information, and just about anything else — all for free, and in a relatively non-commercial environment.”

Craig’s title is Customer Service Representative, which given he’s also the Founder and Chairman, should go a long way to describe his attitude to the organisation.

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The Gadget Show #049 (MP3 – 15.0MB – 43min 20sec)

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As many listeners will know, I’m a huge fan of understanding the way that technology is changing people and our culture. So I felt lucky that I was offered the opportunity to chat with someone who spent weeks researching how 3G technology was effecting different people and cultures around the world.

Stephen Armstong, a journalist in England, helped produce a publication from Motorola. Called “Generation HERE” it “is the first publication to investigate the impact of 3G on peoples’ everyday lives to reveal a whole new world of social and cultural interaction.” You can find it at Motorola Generation HERE.

I spent just over half an hour with Stephen discussing some of the amazing findings, such as the practice of gift-giving a cell phone to women in Dubai as a tactic in picking them up, and reverse call-waiting where people face-to-face are “put on hold” while an incoming call is taken. There are literally dozens of other examples like this in the report, and Stephen and I discuss some fun and amazing facts.

If you’re half interested in the ways we are changing due to technology, you’ll enjoy the discussion I have with Stephen.

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The Gadget Show #048 (MP3 – 13.1MB – 38min 15sec)

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I was happy to learn, while writing How to Use Flickr: The Digital Photography Revolution, that one of Flickr’s team is an Aussie. So when George Oates contacted me to congratulate me on finishing the book, I asked if she’d be a guest on the show. What better way to get an understanding of what it’s like in Flickr, and Silicon Valley, than from another down-to-earth Australian.

We chat about George’s background, her trip to north America, working at Ludicorp, how she designs sights, and the general humanization of the Internet.

Thanks for your time George! It was good fun talking to an Aussie in the thick of it.

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Dave, our resident wannabe geek lost a mate over the weekend: his dog Amos.

Swing over to his blog, for the full story.

Sorry to hear of the loss Dave. A pet is always a part of the family, and it’s a hard time when you loose one.

The Gadget Show #047 (MP3 – 16.1MB – 46min 40sec)

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Before I left for ETech I had David Gray on the show for a “Wannabe Geek” session. It ended up being so popular, that I had several requests to provide a seperate audio file of the discussion. So I decided we’d make it a seperate Gadget Show.

David did a heap of work leading up to this, and prepared a bunch of questions about Voice Over IP (VOIP). We cover:
What is Voip?
What is a softphone?
What is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)?
Examples of Voip?
What is the voice quality like on Voip compared to a land line?
How does Voip work?
What are CODEC’s?
What has been the impact of Voip you as a podcaster?
Why is a Voip so inexpensive?
What are some of the limitations of Voip?
Why is it that a lot of companies are jumping on the Voip “bandwagon”?
What Voip application is the easiest to set up and use? Why?
What is the future of Voip technology?

Thanks for doing all the work David!

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The Gadget Show #046 (MP3 – 12.7MB – 36min 45sec)

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Derek Powazek is an amazing designer. He’s been involved with HotWired, Pyra, Blogger, Technorati, and JPG Magazine. He currently appears at the top of Stylegala’s All Stars and Top Rated lists, an “online resource and inspiration guide for web agencies, designers and developers who take interest in websites that combine the powers of design, web standards and CSS.”

Derek was at ETech, and gave a presentation titled “The New Community.” It encapsulates everything that the web is today.

We discuss his background, ETech, SXSW, and the new community. I plan to have him back on the show in the next couple of weeks to talk in more detail about design, as it’s one of those Web 2.0 hot topics.

Thanks for joining us Derek.

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My latest book, How to Use Flickr: The Digital Photography Revolution, is now available on Amazon. The funny thing is, and a repercussion of being on the other side of the planet to my publisher, there’s a good chance a bunch of people will receive a copy before I do.

Looking for a unique and creative place to store, organize, search, and securely share your digital photographs? Welcome to Flickr?a revolution in digital photography! How to Use Flickr: The Digital Photography Revolution is your one-stop guide to the capabilities of Flickr. All the basic Flickr features are presented, including how to create and set up your account and profile and how to upload your photos. Later chapters detail more advanced Flickr features such as how to organize your collection, share your photos, utilize print services, and get involved in the Flickr community. Once you?re accustomed to Flickr, you?ll learn to take advantage of cool capabilities such as publishing your photos to a weblog, uploading photos with a camera phone, and using Flickr with other useful applications. More than just a how-to guide, this book features interesting anecdotes, interviews, tips, and real-life photos and examples from actual Flickr users. Get ready to embrace and share the Flickr revolution!

Swing over to Amazon and check it out, and if you’re so inclined you can always order a copy :).

The Gadget Show #045 (MP3 – 8.1MB – 23min 20sec)

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Todays show is a monologue about O’Reilly’s Emerging Technology Conference. I give you a review fresh out of the conference, literally hours after it finished. So, you’ll have to excuse the jetlag, braindrain, and bad quality mic.

If you’d like more info on what I ellude to, check out my live-blog of ETech at my Clique Communications weblog. It’s my 10,000 Miles to ETech special edition. Subscribe to the RSS, and stay tuned for potentially a few more podcasts while on my trip.

Anyone who’ll be in San Francisco on March 11 should register for the Geek Dinner, and I’ll see you there. Alternatively, send me an email (richard.giles@gmail.com) to hook up.

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