Jason Unger

Is Internet TV Ready for the Living Room?

Posted by junger - 07/31/08 at 10:07:06 pm

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of watching video podcasts on my computer. It just doesn't make sense.

Even though I've got two screens running — one of which I use for "passive" applications (like IM, Twitter and podcasts) — having a video running while I'm working is awfully distracting (DUH).

This content needs to be on my TV. I didn't spend $2,500 on my Pioneer plasma to neglect it.

Of course, this is what Internet TV really is — using the Internet pipes to deliver video to your TV. It's NOT watching video on your computer.

We're starting to get there. Now that Netflix is coming via the Xbox 360 and LG's new Blu-ray player (called here first), the pipes are starting to get used to deliver content to the living room.

When any of those devices gets access to Hulu content, that'll be another big step forward.

In order to make the move into the living room, I've been thinking a lot about getting an Apple TV. I'm already locked into the iTunes universe. It's just one more step to my Apple-fication.

TV content is meant to be enjoyed in a passive setting, not when you're leaning over the keyboard.

WordPress for iPhone in Action

Posted by junger - 07/25/08 at 04:07:30 pm

Two of my favorite tech tools have come together in holy matrimony — iPhone, meet WordPress.

Thanks to the new app, you can now access both wordpress.com and self-hosted installs through the iPhone. Welcome to my first post using the app — so far, it's pretty sweet.

What I like about this is that it's a lot easier to just write whenever and wherever — it's less sitting down to write a story and more 'let me share what's going on right now.'

I haven't figured out all the tools yet, but I'm getting there. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

In the meantime, enjoy a picture of my desk, taken, yes, with my iPhone.

Gmail Says Google Calendar is Phishing, Spams It

Posted by junger - 07/09/08 at 02:07:30 pm

Check out what happened to a recent Google Calendar reminder I got for an upcoming meeting:

Because Gmail thinks that these automated reminders (from calendar-notification@google.com) are phishing emails, it removes the ability to click on any of the links. This prevents you from unsubscribing to the notifications and checking out more event details.

Gmail also throws these messages into your spam folder, making it pretty useless as a reminder.

Google: left hand, meet right hand.

3 Mainstream Media Podcasts Doing it Right

Posted by junger - 06/30/08 at 09:06:53 pm

It's easy to hate on the mainstream media, especially in an Internet age where most companies don't understand Web publishing.

Newspaper sites don't write Web headlines. Magazine sites think people care what issue a story is from. And TV networks? They just think we're all pirates.

But there are a few broadcasters with mainstream podcasts that are getting it right — and believe it or not, they're actually worth watching.

NBC Nightly News w/Brian Williams
Almost immediately after each day's broadcast, the NBC Nightly News is available commercial-free as a podcast. It's not a special "online" edition — it's the entire show, sometimes even updated when the West Coast edition has something new.

We've talked about Brian Williams and the shift in media before, but what makes this broadcast interesting a day "late" is that it isn't really that late. While there's obviously news from the day, a lot of the content is timeless — so if I watch it a day or two later, it's still worth it.

Anderson Cooper 360
AC 360, iTunes' "Best new podcast" last year, doesn't feature all two hours of Cooper's nightly news program, but it's the first podcast I watch every morning. Running about a half-an-hour an episode, it normally has the latest news from the previous night.

Beyond the news, Cooper and newsgal (and former TechTVer Erica Hill) seem to speak to the Internet generation — they're not old and stogy, and love to laugh at videos of bears falling out of trees.

They also incorporate their daily blog contests — The Shot and Beat 360 — into the podcast, which are lighter fare.

Meet the Press
NBC also gets it right with Meet the Press, which it offers in its entirety, also without commercials.

Obviously, things have changed a bit since the show lost host Tim Russert, but since the show has never been about breaking news, it can be watched at any point during the week without feeling completely out of the know.

What mainstream media podcasts are you watching?

If You Can Tweet It, Why Blog About It?

Posted by junger - 06/12/08 at 11:06:27 pm

Twitter is the best tool for getting information on the Web. I don't say that lightly, but it's designed exactly for how we interact with the Internet.

We don't read online. We especially do not read long content. So limiting what you have to say to 140 characters forces you to get right to the point — a great way to practice your Web headlines.

Add in the fact that you're getting content from people you trust, and Twitter becomes an amazing way to get and convey information.

But as a Web publisher, Twitter puts you in a predicament: if you can get your message across as a Tweet, why bother blogging about it?

Penelope Trunk argues that Twitter is for a different side of you — not necessarily your blog face. "If you express yourself in the same way on a blog and on Twitter, then you don’t need both," she writes.

Brian Clark said Twitter "may well be the end of Copyblogger," but instead of sending out tidbits on copywriting and online marketing, he tweets a lot of quotes.

They say Twitter is about conversations, but in reality, it's about delivering valuable content to your followers.

I just finished a book recommended to me on Twitter. I've suggested a site about moving scams to Chris Pearson, who was looking for a mover. And I've helped convince Davis Freeberg to sign up for Vonage (though I didn't get a referral, darn).

Penelope is right — Twitter is for another side of you: the shorter, more-to-the-point side. I was thinking about writing a blog about Leo Laporte's new TWiT Live, but I could say it in less than 140 characters, so I tweeted it instead.

The people who subscribe to your blog and the people who follow you on Twitter do it for one main reason: they're interested in what you have to say. (Forget for a moment the trolls who follow everyone just to be followed.)

Don't fret if you find yourself Twittering more than blogging. It's not that big of a deal.

As long as you're delivering useful content to your audience, everyone wins.

Follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/junger