talkshoe

Podango Might Fold Is Talkshoe Next?

Podango LogoPodcastingNews.com has has a report out regarding the recent announcement made my Podango regarding their future. Based on the announcement, things don’t look very good for the company:

We at Podango believe that you, our customers, are our most valuable asset. Given this belief, we have always done our best to be honest and forthright in our dealings with you. The current uncertainties of the financial market has affected many of us in this nation. As of this morning, Podango is no longer immune to it’s effects. Our ability to continue operations past the end of this year (2008) is in question. We do not want any of you, or any of your shows to be negatively affected by this uncertainty and so we are encouraging you to begin taking all necessary steps to secure your data or begin moving to another hosting provider. On Monday we will have a more definitive direction. As of today, the last day to move or secure your data is December 31st. RSS feeds will need to be redirected by this date as well. It is our hope that the events of the next few days will allow us to continue providing you a service based upon a subscription fee. Again, we will know more on Monday and you will be notified of any changes to the above plan as soon as we are made aware of them.

We will have a link in the My Podango section of the Podcasters login page by Monday which will allow you to redirect your RSS feed off of the Podango feed to a new feed. Instructions will accompany that tool. Also on Monday we will provide you with alternatives for show hosting.

Inactive accounts, those without recent uploads or downloads, may be already been deleted from the system. If you need to contact us, please use info@podango.com.

Again I personally apologize for this notice of caution. We truly appreciate your business.

With Podango possibly going down the tubes, I am now wondering how well Talkshoe.com is doing. I host two podcasts through Talkshoe.com, one called Perfcast which deals with all things blogging and the other, WordPress Weekly which is a WordPress centric podcast.

At this point, I pretty much have a vested interest in Talkshoe.com surviving. There are many things which can be improved upon within Talkshoe but overall, I’ve been very happy using the service for my podcasting needs. My worry is, Talkshoe.com does not offer any type of (PRO) account or package. In terms of monetizing, I know they have a few Google ads on the Talkshoe site and you can also pay to be featured on the front page but that is about it. I also know based on what a representative of Talkshoe told me, they make money whenever someone calls into the site.

I’d hate to see Talkshoe fall from the wayside and honestly, I’m willing to shell out some cash to continue using Talkshoe if the opportunity pops up. I hope that Dave Nelson who is the CEO of Talkshoe takes this opportunity depending on the final outcome of Podango to come out and make an announcement regarding the future of Talkshoe and put the minds of its users at ease. Hell, it would also be a nice time for Dave to capitalize on the fall of Podango to see if he can’t reel in some users from that service to Talkshoe.

Join Me On Perfcast

Those of you who remember me from hosting and producing the WordPress Weekly podcast will know that I spoke of a new project in which I would be producing another podcast that dealt with everything blogging. That podcast is called Perfcast. This show covers some of the blogging news which happened within the past week, contains a blogging job of the week, initiates a blogging challenge of the week and most of all, is interactive allowing listeners and bloggers alike to chime in with their thoughts and opinions.

The show is hosted by Jeff Chandler (That’s me) and co-hosted by David Peralty of Xfep.com. The show airs live on Talkshoe every Thursday evening at 7 P.M. EST. Please read this post (How To Participate In Perfcast Live) on Performancing.com to find out how to participate live during the show.

By the way, we already have an episode produced. You can check out the show notes here or listen to the show via the embeddable Talkshoe player. Hoping you’ll stop by this Thursday for Episode 2 where David and I will be discussing WordPress 2.7, Blogging Through A disaster and a service called BackType.

The L33t News Podcast

Elite Tech News Podcast LogoFor you tech bloggers out their who consider themselves to be on the “B-List” or maybe even the “Z-List” you’ll appreciate this podcast. Hosted by Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins who is a writer for Mashable.com, the Elite Tech News podcast serves up the best in tech news collected throughout the week by Mark and his panel of guests which include but are not limited to, Steven Hodson of WinExtra.com, Adam Ostrow and Sean P. Aune also of Mashable.com, Art Lindsey of ArtLindsey.com, Louis Gray of LouisGray.com, Frederic of the Lastpodcast.com and Jason Kaneshiro of Webomatica.com

So far, the show has been a blast to listen to, especially once Steven gets on a topic he can rant about. Hearing the *BEEP* when he is on a rant is priceless and downright hilarious. Probably not as funny for Art who acts as the producer of the show and ends up having to edit those parts out.

I’ve really enjoyed their conversation in regards to making money blogging, how Twitter can become a profitable company, and how all of these guys express their independent opinions on various subject matter. I only wish I could call in and participate but my work schedule won’t allow it.

The Elite Tech News podcast has varied on start times but for the past few weeks, the show has aired live at 8:30 PM EST on Sundays. So if you’re looking for an intelligent group of guys that don’t mind having fun while speaking their mind, tune in live to the Elite Tech News podcast. If at all else, I highly suggest subscribing via Itunes as I have done.

If you would like to sample the show, click on the play button to hear their episode from last week.

Appearance On TwoBeams Podcast

Rob White runs a weekly podcast on Friday evenings at 8PM EST on Talkshoe called, Podcast Training And Chat. This past Friday, I was his special guest host as we covered the topic of WordPress. I discussed how I got involved with WordPress, previous experiences, then I discussed various plugins for different purposes. By the way, I also gave out which blogs I’m subscribed to in my feed reader which keep me up to date with the WordPress world.

Please give the show a listen and let me know what you think. It’s pretty weird being on the receiving end of an interview but it was fun.

Two Beams: Podcasting Training and Chat

WordPress Weekly Reminder

Just wanted to remind you that there will indeed be an episode three of WordPress Weekly this Friday evening at 9PM EST on Talkshoe.com In between episodes 2 and 3, Talkshoe has launched a redesigned website along with a web based client. The web based client loads in a new window within your browser and gives you access to the Talkcast chatroom along with being able to listen to the show live. What does this all mean? Now you don’t need to install anything if you want to listen or participate on the show. I’ve checked out the web app and it seems to perform better than the actual client. The text now scrolls from the top to the bottom which is the conventional means of chatting. The show information is displayed on the bottom where it is easily located. The only thing I don’t like about this web app version of Talkshoe is the lack of a reply link next to everyone’s message. It’s hard to maintain and keep up with conversations with individual people.

At any rate, be sure to tune into WordPress Weekly this Friday evening. If you are interested in WordPress and keep up with the news and also want to be on the show, send me an email via the contact form which can be found by clicking the contact link at the top of the blog. If you are usually a guest host on WW please send me an email asap letting me know if you’ll be able to make it.

First Episode Of WordPress Weekly

Talkcast Logo

The time has finally arrived where I will pop my podcasting cherry and produce the first episode of WordPress Weekly. WordPress Weekly will TRY to be a weekly oriented podcast that takes place every Friday evening at 9PM EST on Talkshoe.com. The easiest way I can explain the format of the show is by looking into the TwIT podcast by Leo Laporte. Twit otherwise known as This Week In Tech is a weekly podcast where Leo gathers other tech pundits from around the country to discuss technology news topics of the week.

WordPress Weekly however will be a show where I gather various bloggers who use WordPress as their cornerstone and discuss WordPress related news that took place during the week. Sometimes, the show may stray from the norm and we may cover a particular topic. Other times, we may open the mic and generally talk about anything blogging related. At the end of every show, every guest including the host (ME) gives out a blogging tip for the week. This tip can be a theme, a plugin, a hack, a blog you’ve come across, anything that would be of value to a WordPress user..

I am aiming for a relaxing atmosphere where WordPress Users can gather around for 1 hour every Friday evening and discuss the latest happenings with everything WordPress.

The first episode of WordPress weekly will cover why I and the guest hosts use WordPress. Why we chose WordPress over competing solutions. The floor will be opened on this show which means, we’re liable to discuss just about anything as it relates to WordPress or blogging.

These are the guests that are scheduled or tentatively scheduled to be on the show Friday. Ronald from the Readers Appreciation Project and Brad from Strangework.com. Steven Hodson of WinExtra.com might be able to make it but so far, he is still not 100% sure.

Listener Participation:

So how can you be a part of the show? Well, there are a number of ways. The easiest way is to create an account on Talkshoe.com. Then, download and install their client software. The Talkshoe software serves as a bridge of communication between the host, and his/her listeners. The software contains a chat room as well as phone number information to call into the show.

However, you do not need to install the software in order to listen to the show live. This Friday at 9PM EST, look on the front page of Talkshoe.com or click on the LIVE NOW button and look for the WordPress Weekly show. Instead of clicking on the JOIN IN button, click underneath where it says LISTEN ONLY. This will tune you into the live stream.

If you want to call in to the show via telephone, Skype, etc., use your phone to call 724-444-7444 and follow the audio instructions. *Note* In one of the recent updates to Talkshoe, anonymous calling is now supported. This means you can call in and participate without the need to create a Talkshoe account. However, if you have a Talkshoe account, your registered name will show up within the Talkshoe client letting others know who is speaking.

You can also use SIP clients such as ProjectGizmo or X-Lite. For example, when I use X-Lite to dial in, I type in 123@66.212.134.192 and then follow the audio directions.

Remember this information as it will be required when you want to dial into the show.

Talkcast Name: WordPress Weekly

Talkcast ID: 34224

Phone Number: 724-444-7444

Show Information:

I can not purchase a seperate domain for the show. So please look to this site for information regarding each and every episode. I’ll also be posting show notes on this blog after every show. Also, starting on Friday, I will be adding the TalkShoe Talkcast player widget to the sidebar of the blog. This allows you to listen to the show right from the front page of the blog. You can also keep tabs on the show and look through the archive if one is ever created by clicking here.

What To Expect:

I have no idea what to expect. I’ve never hosted my own show before so this might turn into a disaster. I’ve been a Talkshoe member for a very long time so it shouldn’t be too bad. I’ve seen other shows experience technical problems so I won’t be surprised if I go through some hardships through the first couple episodes. I’ve always wanted to tinker with this podcasting deal but I needed to find something I could talk about on a weekly basis and I wanted to do it with other people, not just by myself. The first show might be filled with a ton of bloopers, but hey, I’ll be there to have fun and to engage in some good conversations and I hope you’ll join us in one way or another.

Live Video Feed From New Media Expo

New Media Expo Logo

For those that are interested, TalkShoe has begun their live coverage of the Podcast and New Media Expo being held in Ontario California. The stream will be ongoing all day long. iJustine is sort of co-hosting the event and is streaming live video from the expo. The video and audio stream is intermittently going out but they appear to be doing the best they can with their setup.

To tune in to the show, click here. After the page loads, look for the LISTEN symbol and click on it. This will open a new window with the live stream.

Watch ijustine live video and chat on Justin.tv

Live Coverage Of New Media Expo

New MEdia Expo Logo

TalkShoe will be exhibiting and attending the Podcast & New Media Expo, Sept 28-30 in Ontario, CA (near Los Angeles). They will be holding a continuous live podcast (Click here for information) from the show floor with special guest iJustine Live. If you happen to attend the event, make sure to visit Booth #415 as that is where TalkShoe will be located.

The 3rd Annual New Media Expo is an annual convention that educates individuals and companies about how to produce high-quality audio and video digital content, grow a loyal audience, and market or monetize that content in creative ways.

The Expo is a “prosumer” and corporate event that brings together influential digital media creators, podcasters and content developers to cover the complete range of creation techniques, business objectives and future trends.

The Expo is also a major networking event where content creators can share ideas and build partnerships.

If you are attending the event or if you will somehow be covering the expo via Twitter or some other means, please let us know by leaving us a comment.

BloggerTalk The Bloggers Podcast

BloggerTalk.TV Logo

Each Tuesday at 8pm Eastern time, join a panel of expert bloggers as they discuss the latest and greatest blogging related news. Each show is performed live on Talkshoe where listeners can call in with their questions or stories related to the blogosphere. Whether it deals with monetizing your blog, RSS, generating traffic, or blogging news, rest assured, this 60 minute show will be packed with content.

After my successful stint on episode 3, the lost episode Anthony Feint was kind enough to bring me back on the show for a full hour with David Peralty where we discussed a number of topics. Ironically, BACN was not one of them, although that was the name of the episode. At any rate, here is what we covered.

Davids Pick for this episode was the news related to WordPress 2.3 which will be a major release. My pick dealt with the blog, Readers Appreciation Project and all three of us actually go into a little more detail in regards to reader appreciation. Anthony actually didn’t have a pick this week, or perhaps David and I took up all of the free time left in the show. At any rate, please give this show a listen and I would love to hear your feedback in regards to my performance or anything related to the show.

To listen to this show without leaving the page, click the PLAY button.

Talkshoe Client Receives A Major Face Lift

talkshoe.com logoThis weekend was a big weekend for Talkshoe as they completely redesigned their client. The new client contains quite a few new features as well as ShoePhone integration.

The new client now has an area on the right which showcases information related to the talkcast. Underneath that box, is a mini user profile that users can see at a glance. The overall design is a bit more streamlined than before and in my opinion is a welcome change. Other enhancements include:

  • Text Wrapping When Chatting
  • Integrated ShoePhone
  • Anonymous Calling

The new client did introduce at least one new bug. When users copy a link from the chat window and paste it into their browser, instead of a link, a random number is pasted. Talkshoe is aware of the issue and will be releasing a hotfix within the near future.

Below are two different screen shots. The first one, is the Talkshoe client before the upgrade. The second, is the Talkshoe client as it is today. Click on the images to see a larger version.

Before:

After: