MySpace Killer: Mp3 Sharing
Now Playing: White House Correspondents video w/ Colbert
Topic: Web 2.0
I've been on a small MySpace bent the last couple of days after finally getting to this design tutorial from Mike Davidson on making well-designed MySpace pages. I've hated their crude layout and design tools so I was relieved (and impressed with Mike's clean design) that someone had found a way to realyl get under the design hood of MySpace.

But getting back onto the site kept reminding how popular the MySpace platform has become on the internet. It's traffic is approaching Google's page views per day and they've gotten so much press coverage these days that everyone seems to know about MySpace. Of course, that means that everyone is talking about the ultimate MySpace killer, whether is be Facebook or some other social networking site.

Remember, it's the type of users and now the network size that has made MySpace so popular and the site started originally as a way to share music. With that in mind and padding this article on downloading the streamed version of any posted mp3, there's the seed of a real MySpace killer.

No, it's not another social networking site but it's a way that brings down MySpace under it's own popularity and based on it's original music roots. Can we create a porgram that automates the XML trick described in the article? A small, simple yet elegant app that could take a MySpace address where streaming mps are located and automatically list the mp3s and download the files as well. This isn't revolutionary, but think about what it would do to MySpace, an app that would spread like wildfire around the community and really leverage the network for music sharing.

Granted, there are lots of issues around this, not least among them that MySpace could change the way it loads the streaming mp3s so that the XML trick wouldn't work anymore, but an app like this would make huge ripples. Someone out there, can we do this?

Is Colbert's Performance the Next Big Viral Hit?
Now Playing: WETA 90.9 FM
I just read about Stephen Colbert's performance last night at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

It sounds like it was an amazing performance and though it doesn't look like it's quite taken off yet (b/c I don't see any torrents posted yet), I'm predicting that this video is going to spread like wildfire and even surpass the popularity/downloads of the Jon Stewart on Crossfire episode. The Jon Stewart video showed the power of viral online videos because more people watched the video after the fact that even watched the original Crossfire episode.

Let's see what happens with this one. As of 4/30/06 @ 9:50pm EST, Technorati is showing 525 hits for "Colbert Correspondents". Let's see what happens when the story and video hit the MSM on Monday and check in on the Technorati hits in a week.



Currently Listening: WETA 90.9 FM

PBR + Music + NPR
Now Playing: KCRW streaming via iTunes
Topic: Personal or Reflective
Three good things in life all wrapped up together: PBR + Music + NPR

After enjoying a good brew and good music, go watch Dave Winer's interviews on Rocketboom (especially his take on the future of advertising) and follow it by reading the latest issue of WIRED for the article on online video.

Finally, take your new insights and call me in the morning, you owe me one.

One of My Most Famous (Infamous) Stories...
Now Playing: Wilco - Jesus, Etc.
...but you'll have to ask me in person for the details. Thanks to JK for joining me on the original trip and to him and Trevor for our recent ski trip, it was a lot of fun.

Survey on New Media
Now Playing: Economist Podcast - Survey of New Media w/ Chris Anderson
Topic: Web 2.0
I'm spreading the word as I'm sure that many others as well, about The Economist's recent issue that includes a survey on New Media. Great thoughts and conversations, including a podcast w/ Chris Anderson of WIRED and one with Dave Sifry of Technorati.

Highlights from the Chris Anderson (aka Mr. Long Tail guy) interview:

1) There will still be the superstar performers/artists, but the gap between their sales and the average folk will diminish
2) Rather than people coming together over mainstream content that was pushed because of broadcasting scarcity (media monopoly of the airwaves or means of distribution), people will come together based on the stronger bonds of actually shared interest in content (because we will all be content creators, in the very basic sense since our playlists will be tracked and shared with the network). Imagine that, coming together over actual shared interest rather than over tenuous links of geography/location.
3) New Media companies (and if Old Media companies can make the transition) will have to unbundle content into microchuncks, one-to-one broadcasting, but in a smart, rebundled manner (sounds like what Umair pointed out was missing from the recent Disney deal to offer some limited content online for free).
4) Your collective memory and learning will now be accessible and probably value to yourself and others (exactly what I was thinking about a year ago).

Especially with theme #4, check out the David Sifry podcast, which discusses this idea of your collective learning/ah-hah moment engine. I'm reading The Virtual Handshake by David Teten and Scott Allen on my smartphone and here's Cory's Doctorow's perfect quote on this concept:

"Author Cory Doctorow calls his blog his 'outboard brain:' the place where he archives information that he needs. Your files, and better yet your blog, are a powerful way to organize your own accumulated learning." (pg. 180 of the PDF)

Fred, Umair, or Jeff, any thoughts on this, I assume you guys will read the survey and maybe listen to the audio interviews.

NY Times Redesign and Mobile Browsing
Now Playing: David Gray - Babylon
Topic: Web 2.0
It's old news now that the NY Times redesigned their website and I do compliment them for the increased XHTML/CSS design; it's clean, simple, and seems fast-loading. It's nice to see a top-tier web destination redesign with these standards and style. I can barley remember what it looked like before their last redesign (check out the Wayback Machine to see previous designs).

What's disappointing is no longer being able to view the site from my smartphone, which I could do before relatively easily before the redesign. Yes, the pages were a little awkward with the graphics and ads, causing lots of scrolling or choosing the printer-friendly versions to get full screen-width flow of text, I was willing to do that for their content.

Now, as soon as I click on an article from the main page, Internet Explorer immediately crashes and I have to start all over again. So it means no more NY Times during my downtimes during the day. While I'd rather hit NY Times over CNN or Goggle News, I'm having to choose these second-best options for now. Can the NY Times fix this, which I attribute to some CMS or javascript error, so that I can continue reading the NY Times son my mobile device?

I've been meaning to post since the NY Times redesigned back on April 01 (02?), but I've been busy with work. It wasn't until Fred's Union Square Ventures blog.

I barely read his original post on web services after seeing a MIT Sloan Management review article on the same subject and immediately posted about the article because it seemed relevant. Well, it was that exact article that did indeed prompt Fred's post. So I apologize: lesson learned-- read the entire post before jumping in to make a comment that's already discussed in the post.

Currently Listening: David Gray - Babylon

Me and You and Everyone We Know
Now Playing: Engadget Podcast 04/04/06
Topic: Personal or Reflective
Thanks JK for the recommendation. Delightfully weird, I laughed out loud in my apartment while watching this late at night, I can only imagine what the neighbors thought. Great scenes of awkwardness, not like the awkward make-you-squirm kind of scenes from The Office (BBC version, not the NBC stateside version) but more like how did someone come up with a scene so seemingly strange yet realistic too. So many great moments to list but the scene at the park, on the park bench where the young boy meets his older online flame, funny.

Back for Now, But My Attention is Scarce
Now Playing: Coldplay - Talk (Junkie XL remix)
Topic: Web 2.0
Thanks to Justin for posting a comment, chiding me on the recent dearth of posts, been busy at work and although a lot of good ideas have stemmed from my most recent reading, I just haven't had the time for even any basic analysis.

The attention economy, focusing on our increasing scarcity of time as information keeps overhwelming our inboxes and eyeballs on a daily basis. The general idea has come up a lot over the last year or so, spanning the various reading/podcasting that I do to keep on the convergence of technology, the internet, media, and culture.

Between Fred Wilson, Adam Curry's podcasts (including his recent golden ticket idea), Bubblegeneration (and Umair just responded to the Disney news today as well) and linking concepts from Battelle's Google book and Scoble's blogging book, the legitimacy of the Attention Economy concept is cementing in my mind.

I don't have the time to write up much on the idea but saw this post on an Eric Schmidt talk that mentions the idea and that finally sparked me to post on the subject. So do yourself a favor and start reading Fred and Umair if you're interested in the future of new media, advertising, and the internet and technology, because these guys (among the many out there) are talking about it a high level. I wish that I could stand on the shoulders of these giants to see what they see so reading their analysis gets me as close as I can for now.

Now, if only I can subtlety hint to my colleagues, who work at a sister Council, that they should be reading this stuff...

Currently Listening: Coldplay - Talk (Junkie XL remix)

Back from Vacation...Temporarily
Now Playing: Tapes 'n Tapes - Cowbell
Topic: Personal or Reflective

Back from vacation...until this Thu., then it's off to FL w/ Tyler and Stacie for a long weekend. Tyler promised kite-boarding and that was enough for me. So it was snow and gnar last weekend and it should be sun and water this weekend.

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, especially as it relates to new technology/Web2.0/blogging ideas (thanks to Scoble's new book, which I finished during the Breck vacation. Hopefully I'll write and read a whole bunch over this weekend.

Currently Playing: Tapes 'n Tapes - Cowbell

On Vacation, Shredding in CO
Now Playing: Coldpaly - Talk (Junkie XL remix)
Topic: Personal or Reflective

Brazilian Girls 03/03/06 Review
Now Playing: The Brazilian Girls - Don't Stop
Topic: Music
The doors to 9:30 Club opened at 9:00pm and The Brazilian Girls, scheduled for 11pm were closer to 11:30pm before taking the stage. It was a little empty at 9pm and remained so until closer to 11pm; I'd hoped it would fill up b/c I love their music and wanted to see the place packed. So after a beer and a couple G&Ts, which were quite expensive as DCist pointed out (luckily the bartender was pouring strong), I kept thinking they better put on a damn good show for all this standing around and consuming of $6 drinks. The lights started to change a little and the fans upfront kept looking stage right and then, yes, BZ took the stage. All I can say is unbelievable, they delivered a truly kick ass show that kept you enthralled for the entire set. Sabina, I don’t what she was wearing but you couldn't take your eyes off of her (or the outfit); she kept getting drinks and even taking a few from the crowd.

Below is my live note-taking (moblogging was working, sorry, I'm not that hardcore) during the show, so excuse the incompleteness:

Track #1-- was new, not sure what it was
Track #2-- in French w/ a good beat
Track #3—Lazy Lover (and Sabina grabs a tequila from a friend offstage, drinks it, and tosses it over her head and keeps going)
-- The lighting on this song was amazing, white to red
Track #4-- Sabina grabs the video camera and pans across the entire crowd. Featured an amazing trombone solo that would have made my cousin Will (a professional bass trombone player) really proud. The trombonist was playing at crack speed, literally.
Track #5-- slowed down song
Track #6-- not sure, “On China…”
Track #7-- “Homme Me Gusta”
Track #8-- “Don’t Stop”—perhaps the highlight of the night, it got everybody so pumped up, awesome
Track #9-- not sure, had an airy sound
Track #10-- some new song in French, good beat
Track #11- the classic, “P*ssy,” which the trombone player killed and the band played for an extended time
BZ leaves and then…encore…
Track #12-- new song?
Track #13-- Dance Till the Morning Sun, played for a long time and Sabina had the crowd join the m on stage

An amazing show, I can still feel it and my head is still moving from that Friday night, now a full two weeks ago. "Don’t Stop" has become my new walking to work song; there’s no better way to start the day.

I found two Flickr photos (is that all there is D.C.?) or any blog reviews from the show. The best I could find was this review from their last show at 9:30. Feist had photos and even Jon Stewart back in Roch. had photos, but alas, D.C. isn't representing.

Moblogging Flickr
Now Playing: Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star
Topic: Web 2.0

Happy B-Day Benny (a little old, sorry)
Now Playing: Daily Source Code - #348
Topic: Personal or Reflective

Happy 24th Benny

...and interesting links just for my Dad, particulary the last two (thanks BoingBoing):

1) In eastern Turkey, where one family's children, due to a genetic abnormality, walk on all fours.

2) How to make a railroad bike.

3) Boiling Water Thrown Into Freezing Air (this video shows what happens).

My quick review of The Brazilian Girls show at 9:30 Club last Fri. night is coming, nothing profound but a damn amazing show like that deserves some mention.

Protest Un-Smart Net Filters
Now Playing: Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star (again)
Topic: Web 2.0

From BoingBoing, net filter company SmartFilter is blocking BB for unfounded, un-"smart" reasons that only prove how net filters, great (like the Great Firewall of China) or small (Net Nanny) will always fail. Here's how to get around internet filter.

Currently Listening: Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star

** BONUS mp3 ** In anticipation of The Brazilian Girls (eat your heart out JK) this Fri. night at 9:30 Club, their "Don't Stop" single. Here's what happened last time they came to D.C.

Great Hometown Story
Now Playing: Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star
Topic: Personal or Reflective


Sunday NYT Magazine reading:
1) Broken Social Scene (who I've talked about a few times, go get their music)
2) The Freshman (fomer Taliban spokeman starts at Yale)

Currently Listening: Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star (Myspace link)

The Daily Standard Article on Web2.0: It's Worthless!
Now Playing: The Roots - Star; Public Enemy- He Got Game
Topic: Web 2.0
Haven't posted in a while and given that its late right now, I don't want to try analyzing The Daily Standard's article on Web2.0 that Zeldman pointed out. Rest assured, there are some controversial points in there and ranking high among the misconceptions is this choice quote:

"Meanwhile, digital piracy, enabled by Silicon Valley hardware and justified by Silicon Valley intellectual property communists such as Larry Lessig, is draining revenue from established artists, movie studios, newspapers, record labels, and song writers."

Exactly, it's either a black or white world on copyright according to the average pundit, politician, or MSM journalist like this article's author, Andrew Keen. If you've ever read any bit of Lessig, then you'd know that he's against illegal music downloading that doens't compensate creators. Questioning the world's current copyright balance is much different than being called an "intellectual property communist." It's an unimaginative and pathetic label that Lessig has heard a million times before from less vigirous MSM journalists. Congrats Mr. Keen for jumping on the communist copyright bandwagon.

More Tomkat
Now Playing: Live 360 on NPR

More TomKat t-shirts are finally here

Posted by cph19 at 4:35 PM EST

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Loving the Music
Now Playing: Guru - Lifesaver
Topic: Personal or Reflective
Week (blur) in review:

1) Feist last night at Black Cat, amazing; think I'll be listening to more Jason Collett now too. (DCist described the crowd as "a mix of hipsters and um...people that don't go to many concerts.") Glad we arrived a little early, sounds like some people missed JC because of the huge line, which we stood in for awhile even having arrived 15 minutes before the 8:30pm opening doors.

2) Brazilian Girls at the 9:30 Club on March 3rd, can't wait

3) Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand, April 11th, pre-sale starting next week. Get your world time clock and internet connection fired up for the pre-sale 1pm time, these are tix are going to go fast.

4) Didn't go last week when some people from work checked out Science Club but Gridskipper gives it a thumbs up...Now if only I could find a place in this town w/ $1.50 cans of PBR, anyone know of a place?

5) The recent Gillmor Gang podcast talked on a lot of great techie/Web2.0 subjects, including a (new to me) tech news site for your blogroll or RSS reader: Memeorandum

Bush and Junkie XL
Now Playing: Coldplay - Talk (Junkie XL remix)
After another whirlwind trip up to Rochester last weekend, which started ominously enough...I had Academy training all last week, capped off with a reception on Friday night after our presentations (our group won, go Team Exemplar) and had to go for at least one drink. But that pushed up against having to get to BWI for a 9pm flight. Hmmm, a drink with my group or leaving for the airport on time?

If you know me well enough you know that I didn't choose the latter...so I walked out of my apt. at 7:30 ready to get to BWI. Downtown D.C. (@ 7:30pm) for BWI (@ 9pm flight) meant pressure cooker but I was relaxed as I always am about traveling: go with the flow and you'll probably make the flight; there's always another flight anyways.

It was apartment packing and cleaning on Sat. and my final walk-through w/ the landlord at 5pm. Trevor helped me take care of the loose ends and Naomi gave me the seal of approval. Handed over the apartment keys and that closed another chapter (~2 years at Park Ave.) of my life. I liked that studio apt. and hopefully someone else likes it just as much so I can get out of my lease early without having to pay rent for March and April.

Then on to the fun, Sat. night at Lux. Had a great time w/ Greg, Leah, her friend (whose name currently escapes me, sorry), Robbie, and Trevor. How can you go wrong w/ $1.50 cans of PBR? The laid-back vibe inside, decor and music, coupled with even better company made for an awesome night. A little sad to be leaving Roch having finally visited a cool bar just as I'm leaving town. It was the perfect ending to my last weekend in Rochester. Right now I'd say it's Lux, Monty's (Krown or Corner) , and The Old Toad as my favorite bars in ROC.

It was Bush tonight and the Junkie XL remix of Coldplay's "Talk." Next week it's Feist (of Broken Social Scene fame, thanks KCRW) at the Black Cat. Interested in going, drop me a comment or email since I don't know many people in D.C. yet.

Currently Playing: Coldplay - Talk (Junkie XL remix) (search the page for "Coldplay" and you'll find the mp3 link)

Like a Kid in the Candy Store...
Topic: Personal or Reflective

I'm finally back after a long, internet-deprived hiatus. Until my PC had a broadband connection and I could sit at home to really dig in (i.e. not through work's connection), I've felt like an addict who hasn't gotten his fix in awhile. It reached desperation as I stayed late Friday night to print out maps of local cafes with Wifi connections.

Then I said screw it and finally took the time again to try using my phone's broadband connection on my notebook and low and behold, it worked like a charm. Amazing I tell you, I love it!

Now that I'm back on the internet with my PC, I'm a kid in the candy store or the toy store, there's some much that I want to do (read, surf, blog, mp3 download) that I can't decide what to do first.

And yes, I'm just about 100% D.C. now.