Broken Signal Episode 1
Well I just recorded my first ever podcast. It’s pretty raw, no bells, no whistles, I’m still trying to learn how to use Audacity and I’m getting to grips with my microphone, apologies for the sound quality, I’m working on a couple of things that will help me make it is a bit better, so hopefully you’ll definitely see a distinct difference between this one and future podcasts.
Erm, don’t take everything to heart, I talk a lot of shit as you’re going to find out. Topics I cover are enhanced podcasting, Shuttle, I have a little bit of a rant on Apple and generally make a tit out of myself. So come join the fun.
Update: Ok, so I can’t get podpress to work for some reason. So I’m doing this the hard way. Once I’ve found out why podpress is giving me a headache I’ll report back. In the meanwhile: You can download the podcast from here, or if you prefer the rss feed is here.
What’s the podcast-exclusive feed URI?
↓ Quote | 12/4/2006
That’s a damn good question. I thought WordPress or PodPress would have dealt with that, but apparently not. Hmmm let me check into that a bit.
↓ Quote | 12/4/2006
What interface are you using for that flash?
↓ Quote | 12/4/2006
Until Mike mentioned the lack of rss feed, I was using PodPress. As far as I can tell it just includes the whole thing in with the rest of the rss feed for the site. Not enough time to play around with it so I’ll let it go for tonight and see where I can get to tomorrow.
↓ Quote | 13/4/2006
You said you weren’t a coder. So how do you design your site? I don’t plan to ever code in my life.
↓ Quote | 13/4/2006
Nice Podcast.
↓ Quote | 13/4/2006
I’m at work right now, so I can’t listen to the show, but I did check out the RSS feed. Two thoughts:
1. There’s an iTunes tag for length of show (MM:SS format). People like knowing that before they subscribe, quite often.
2. Unless there’s a specific reason for using stereo sound, try flattening the sound down to mono. You’ll save half the bandwidth on the podcast. You should be able to get two minutes of podcast in for each megabyte. Right now, you’re at a 1:1 ratio.
Good luck!
↓ Quote | 13/4/2006
Loved the podcast. I left it playing whilst I just pottered around the house. It was like having you in the same room.
↓ Quote | 15/4/2006
Augie - Thanks for the pointers Augie, especially about the length, so I’ll have a look into flattening to mono, and once I get podpress working for me it’ll have all the itunes bells and whistles, for sure.
Richie - Hhehe, how’s it going Richie, how’s Australia then? You want me to set you up with a site or what? Drop me an email with your phone number.
↓ Quote | 15/4/2006
How in the world can you blame Apple for not providing you with Garageband for Windows?! Should I also blame Microsoft for not providing me with MovieMaker for OS X?
I must admit, it’s the weirdest arguement I’ve heard in a long time. “You mowed the lawn on your side of the fence, so why don’t you do it on mine?!”
Apple didn’t invent podcasting, nor is the enhanced AAC files a closed format. So blame everyone else for not having created an app capable of producing them.
Now I can appreciate that you want control over what kind of hardware you put into your machine, and at what price. But if you stop to think about it, that in itself is an issue that is likely to cause instability, thus diminishing OS X’s worth. Which is based on the fact that it runs on a finite set of hardware specs.
I can’t remember who said it, but it goes something like this: Apple doesn’t care about consumers who aren’t willing to front the cash for a Mac. They’re not worth having as users, and would probably merely diminish the platform’s value anyway.
“Dude, I put this homebuilt based-off-of-a-WV-Beetle-engine into this Countach shell… Looks and feels GREAT!… Drives like shit…”
Which is to say: If you aren’t willing to pay for greatness, you shouldn’t expect it.
↓ Quote | 18/4/2006
Hehe, I did warn you that I might upset a few people :), should have expected it from you earlier. I’ll explain my thinking which obviously doesn’t fit in with your own but that’s cool, it’s good to see where everyone stands on various subjects.
I do remember not being as articulate as I wanted to be going through that section so I’ll definitely address it in my next podcast (easier to be honest), needless to say I’m not as insane and cheap as your making me out to be :)…well actually maybe a bit insane but definitely not cheap.
↓ Quote | 18/4/2006
Okay, having listened to my podcast again I’ll say that that particular section where I describe the cost of the kit being an issue didn’t come across the way I wanted.
I’ve spent far more money on my computer than a Mac would have cost me. All the peripherals I’ve bought since then increase the cost of the kit even more. So it’s not really a money thing, that came across as bad, so I’ll retract that. I don’t begrudge the money you spend on the kit, I begrudge the shocking amount you’re paying for having the Apple brand on your box. It’s the same way you pay twice as much to have an Intel chip when an AMD chip does things better, faster and are currently waay ahead in the processor chip game than Intel, however at half the price. It’s about the marketing, that’s what gets me.
My Lamborgini has served me well, drives flawlessly (apart from a harddrive crash a while back, that’s what backups are for). What I’m trying to say is ‘You’re not paying for greatness, you’re paying for branding.’
Believe me when I say I’m not trying to bash Apple, I hate them just as much as I hate any other corporation. Some are more evil than others for sure, but believe me I harbour absolutely no love for the likes of Microsoft, Sony or whatever.
That’s not actually what the issue is here. The issue is me being a windows users and using itunes because I have an ipod. I will be using itunes to download my podcasts to my ipod and will be using itunes to download my podcasts etc. I’ll get to see the enhanced one and might want to do one of my own, as I did.
Is it their fault that they had the ingenious idea to do this first? Of course not, only reason I’m doing this podcasting thing (plus your podcast as well, paving the way :) ).
Is it their fault that I don’t use OS X? Don’t be silly, it’s my decision, no one is at fault here.
So what’s the problem? The problem is that they didn’t have the forethought to allow an enhanced podcast be made on a system other than OSX.
I’ll try and explain. Would it have been difficult for Apple to have the system operate in a way that can be ‘hardcoded’? As you wrap the mp3 in an rss feed, have it wrap around an XML file that can be written by hand as well that provides all the necessary information for that particular podcast (chapter times, image links etc). That way you still get to do what you want, it might take a bit longer, but in the end you’re not completely cut off from having that option as well. Sure if you have a mac you’ll have it easier but as another user you’ve still got that option.
It’s only going to be a matter of time before a standard way of doing that for other open source options comes across, which might come of the coatails of Microsoft sorting out an option for making an enhanced podcast as well (probably not, however stranger things have happened). To me it’s a shame that they didn’t take the drive to set the standard. That’s what’s disappointing, but like I said it’s indemic of Apple’s ethics about these things.
Okay the last time I did this I got hammered, I should really not bother talking about Apple, you guys are crazy :).
↓ Quote | 18/4/2006