nicefishfilms

I feel like a kid, downright giddy! Got a flash from the Phoenix Explorer on Mars via Twitter-



See the full size Twitter Flash Image

Read the exciting news From the Official Phoenix Mars Website

The Twitters from Phoenix have been so fun to read- join in

Read the Wired interview with Phoenix

This is our Space- Exploring together. Enjoy the Future my friends!

msw

Who says BIG media isn't hip? LA's number one station (and I might add, most stimulating) KFI dropped a Twiiter shout out last night.

mp3 also here- KFI Twitter

For all the talk of Twitter going down, I still see this as a service that people will stick with, there's just something about it that's charming in a small-town kind of way. Despite the downtime frustration we all have with Twitter, Jason Kincaid @ TechCrunch reports that most of us are staying, and more come everyday- read it here. While FriendFeed is quickly becoming my mini-blog, Twitter still has a place in my heart for micro-blogging!

msw

Special Thanks to @ilvdbch for the heads up!

As we celebrate Twitter passing the One Billion Tweet mark, I want to ask you a question. Do you use the service to PUSH (send out links) or PULL (monitor and converse)? Last night I had a face-to-face conversation with a Twitter power user. He is an entrepreneur who maintains several accounts for both work and personal use. I do believe that entrepreneurs should be mindful when communicating personal opinions while doing so under their company brand. I don't assume that all who work at a company hold the same beliefs as the person at the top but it's hard to separate the two at times. However, companies should use social net tools in a personal way.

The entrepreneur I spoke with said that some of his accounts are used to PUSH stories and links out. His personal account is more of the conversation tool. I'm not sure he's realizing the full power of the Twitter Universe. All companies should be working towards building communities rather than just PUSHING info out. Mashable had a great post on How to Build Community on Twitter. The writer, Sarah Evans, points out that Twitter is best when used to build conversation. Engagement is the goal here. By definition, spraying info out without listening is spamming.

It begins with the PULL. I PULL info into my Twitter world by using global search on TweetDeck. I'm able to track conversations on a subject basis. I discover people who are talking about things I'm interested in. The next step for me is to strike up a conversation by commenting on a tweet or link. This type of action results in dynamic interaction. I've had some great conversations with people from around the world by listening first, then reaching out.

If all your doing is using Twitter to PUSH, you are missing the true revolution in micro-messaging- the conversation.

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, if your tweets are discussions, I'll probably follow you back.

[ Related Post: Twitter Me Silly- Everything You Need to Know About Twitter ]

Photo Credit: Discovery Channel, Wild Birds Learn Foreign Languages

msw

Robert Scoble moderates this excellent panel on the changing 'pace' of news gathering and distribution in a Social Media World.



Ann Curry (@AnnCurry) - News Anchor on NBC's Today Show and host of Dateline NBC Rick Sanchez (@ricksanchezcnn) - Host of the 3PM weekday edition of CNN Newsroom Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) Ryan Osborn (@todayshow) - Producer, NBC Today Show

The event held last week in New York was organized by Jeff Pulver.

Prt. 2:



msw

- Special Note - Scoble will be the special guest tonight on Peter Himmelman's Furious World tonight at 7pm PDT - watch live

News travels fast when you're connected to a group of news/tech junkies. The so-far highly unstable Twitter Network is fast becoming a "news" source for me. I am seeing news items "break" from the group of twitters that I follow. I am fascinated by Twitter because it goes beyond instant messaging and is truly crowd sourced information. You can monitor the "network" through sites like Summize and follow the trends.

Sites like Twitter spawn some great adaptations that may or may not make it into the general pools of usage. I like the thought of user adapations- tweeking the tech so it does what we want it to do. It remains to be see if Twitter will catch fire, but the early geek/tech users have driven the site beyond Silicon Valley into many diverse circles. The sense of community is one of the many reasons I like Twitter

Even though the site goes down a few too many times, and the bug list grows hourly, you get a sense that the users are all pulling for the Twitter Team. It's a fine service that doesn't try to sell you anything (yet). Perhaps it's the sense that you've Stumbled upon something that is new and highly useful that creates affinity to its simple brand. I hope that Twitter doesn't fall prey to too many API's and useless add-ons that slow the network down.

I found this to be an interesting/insightful article on the "news" phenom of Twitter- Read Tech Crunch post by Steve Gillmor- Our Home Town

Now if I could only add a few more features to my Mento Account! (Update: 06.17.08- they have added a ton of new features!)

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Marc Ostrick and I are honored to premier our next mini documentary 'OPEN' on TWITtv today at 2pm PDT. Immediately after the showing we will make the film available at eGuiders. We look forward to connecting with you and discussing what emerging tech and community means to us.

If you are coming here via the showing, welcome and we hope you take the time to explore the blog and follow us on Twitter, FriendFeed or Facebook. Chances are, if you're on a social network you can find us via the user name - nicefishfilms.



msw

We continue our journey through the tools of connection. For me, IT provides the rails for voice to be carried around the world- instantly. I jumped into Twitter early and introduced the service to a wide array of friends. We see the mainstream media jump all over Twitter like it's new. This was called BBS and then SMS but this time the package is slick enough for the general marketplace to understand. I embrace what we can do together using the latest shiny object to send out signals. It's important not to let the tool become the focus. The reason we're seeking connection remains constant - we NEED each other in order to be human. The code of the rails carrying our voices will change - may our melody of conversation continue to be the goal.

Fellow filmmaker and friend Marc Ostrick and I visted the #140 Conference in LA to converse with a great collection of molecules.



For more information about the film, please visit eGuiders.

Oh sure Twitter is that quirky micro-blogging, mini-messaging service that some love to rip, but there’s been a lot of interesting developments in Twitterland lately. For those who still haven’t jumped into the 140 character village, a couple of quick reads for you- Newbie Guide and How Twitter Works.

I knew that Twitter had entered my regular routine when, during the recent earthquake in California, the first thing I thought of was twittering through the tremor.

Once you’ve signed up the next step is connecting your friends and discovering interesting people to follow. Of course, the big tech celebs are there- Robert Scoble, Louis Gray, Leo Laporte, Guy Kawasaki, John C. Dvorak, Jason Calacanis, Chris Pirillo and Michael Arrington. But for something completely different in Twitterville, check out the twits from John Cleese who lets it rip from his really big brain. Take a trip back to the world of Mad Magazine with the punny posts from Alfred E Neuman himself.

Want to know what’s happening in politics before it’s news? Check out Martina Stewart, a producer from CNN’s political unit. Even some in our Government are getting into it like Congressman John Culberson.

Get a little spacey with NASA or their current superstar Phoenix Mars Lander. See the future of human-robotic systems for lunar exploration. You can even take a peek under the hood of the Universe with a Bad Astronomer.

There are plenty of really big thinkers in twittown like Dave Winer the father of blogging and RSS.

Care for some liberal arts? Kottke Org doesn’t disappoint. The great conceptual artist Jenny Holzer is a true pioneer of words and ideas in public spaces so it’s only natural that she would be twitting.

For perfectly pithy posts, you can’t go wrong with Andy Ihnatko, Merlin Mann or heavy breather Darth Vader.

The magnificent mavens of social media musing on machines- Amber MacArthur, Molly Woods, Mona N and Corvida are all twitter-ers.

Weezer proved their geekness with the ultimate video tribute to the net but it’s their drummer Patrick Wilson twittapping away at the keyboard.

You can get your film fix with Spout, see what’s breaking and buzzing with Buzztter_en or set a reminder to Remember the Milk.

(Update: 08.27.08- AMC allows fan driven Mad Men Twitter accounts to continue) The best in TV come to life like the downright debonair Don Draper, the beautiful but profoundly sad Mrs. Betty Draper, the heavenly Joan Hollway and the precious Peggy Olson from Mad Men. Never miss an episode though with the timely tweets from TV Guide.

To get the most out of Twitter, you’ll want one of the many great API’s available that make tweets really chirp:

Tweet Deck- group the people you follow, search across the entire network, use the built-in url clipper and much more.

Twitterrific- works great for mobile mac users.

Twittervision- see all the tweets from a 3d globe.

Have fun traveling down the info tunnel of Twitter but please be a good Tweeter and practice good etiquette by using Twittering politely.

This is just a tiny picture of the Twitter Universe, I’m keeping a running log of interesting Twitter related articles here. I hope by now your are getting a little snap shot of how useful, informative and fun Twitting is.

Nice Fish Films @ Twitter

Stumble It!





silly fish image here

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Scott Maxwell has a vision- remove the walls that prevent us from being engaged in Space Exploration. Maxwell drives the Mars Rovers, and wants you to have a turn at the joystick. During his presentation at Gnomedex, he explained what Mars 3.0 means to him. Please take a moment and watch this amazing moment from Gnomedex.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Scott Maxwell at work
Scott Maxwell at Twitter

This is one great ride WE are on.

msw

Mention Opera to me and I respond like a puppy hearing a strange sound- tilt of the head and a puzzled look. I know there is something magnificent there, the staging, the story the complete artistry. Recently our long-time friend, former radio diva, Lori Lewis approached us with a series idea revolving around Opera. I love a mystery and we decided to take it to the next level by shooting a teaser. The idea is to bring Opera to everyone in an environment that is welcoming and friendly. Lori had a vision to bring together friends, interesting people gathered around the dinner table. Our goal is to celebrate the BIG idea behind living life full voice.

Welcome to the journey.

everyday Opera Follow the updates on Twitter

Teaser:



The response is exciting, a gathering of the most respected names in Opera, Science and fans of great food coming together to make everyday Opera happen.


msw

Along our curious path we have the occasion to converse with some really BIG thinkers. Thinking Out Loud is the raw stream from some of these encounters.

On this SPECIAL edition: The trending issue today on Twitter is #CNN Fails. We're joined by Robert Scoble of Building43, Cyril Mutran co-founder of Twazzup and Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins to discuss the rise of real-time news. The lack of coverage by the US News Networks regarding the Iranian election and fall-out was just stunning and showed the complete failure of old media to cover breaking events like the real-time web.

You can track the Iran Elections on Twazzup or wait a lifetime for tv news networks to catch up.







More resources: Huffington Post Live Blog, "Real-Time Criticism Over CNN Coverage" - NYT,

Twitter Streams Break Iran News Dam

Rizzn has a report that their seems to be an attempt to censor YouTube videos as well - read here

Monday UPDATE: We sent a Twitter message to @ricksanchezcnn and he responded on the air that they did the best they could but news is now a 'collective pursuit.' Rick seems to understand the uproar but I wonder if he realizes that CNN had a real opportunity to mine the 'collective' voices demanding news as it was breaking. To his credit, Sanchez covered the story fully, even showing the grim images coming out of Iran. He even focused on the importance of the SocialNet in getting the story out.




msw

The financial markets continue to shake. Auto-makers are on the hill shaking down lawmakers. Most of us are just plain shaken by the downward trends in the economy. Time to stop the shakes by plugging into the network of info-sharing.

I find myself glued to CNBC both on the web and on TV. I want to know the latest information coming out of Wall Street, Washington and Main Street. Staying on top of the money news helps me shake a little less. CNBC's Jim Cramer is an interesting entertainer who mixes stock analysis with anecdotal evidence. His outrage seems genuine. Now we can tap into Cramer's mad-mind even when we're away from that TV box.

Cramer's Mad Money knows the marketplace of ideas is highly social-able. The program is now updating via Twitter, beefing up their podcast offerings and even offering embeddable widgets.

By opening the info-flow, making this data portable and sharable, CNBC has made it easier for us to stay connected. Now we can all freak-out together.




msw

I'm humbled to be part of the following announcement:

February 27, 2009 06:05 AM Eastern Time

Ustream Announces Exclusive Live Entertainment Venue and Online Streams from Austin’s Largest Interactive Music Festival


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ustream today announces the first-ever Ustream Studio “Live from The Belmont” at South by Southwest, Austin’s largest interactive music festival. The Ustream Studio will combine the ideas and music at the heart of SXSW with the interactive power of live streaming. A free high-profile event open to the public and produced by nicefishfilms, no wristband is required for entry.

The Ustream Studio will showcase musicians, journalists, futurists, artists and thought leaders at The Belmont, 305 W. Sixth St., Austin, Texas. Whether enjoying the events locally or from across the world, Ustream will power all events live on Ustream.TV, the leading internet broadcasting platform that allows anyone with a camera and an internet connection to live stream.

Participants of the Ustream Studio from March 13 to 21 include Grammy® Best New Artist of the Year Adele, Peter Himmelman, Indigo Girls, Manchester Orchestra, The Von Bondies and Glasvegas.

With Ustream’s easy embed tools, users can share any of the live streams, allowing any website to host these compelling concerts and panels. For more information, visit here or the live stream here, or follow us on Twitter.

"Our intent is to create a space for big ideas to grow," said Michael Sean Wright, founder of nicefishfilms and director of the Ustream Studio. “Ustream Studio is a phenomenal space to experience the excitement and collaboration that defines SXSW. An event on this scale -available to viewers across the globe, for free- is revolutionary to me.”

“The Ustream Studio underscores our vision to help people share moments and experiences with each other,” said Brad Hunstable, co-founder and president of Ustream. “We’re thrilled to be a partner in this event that integrates the power of live video with top-notch entertainment and talent.”

Offering a full range of food and drinks, the Belmont features a retro atmosphere with period furnishings, vintage fixtures, dark woods and design touches that evoke the glamorized 1960s era of Kennedy, Sinatra and Monroe.

About Ustream TV

Ustream.TV is the live interactive video broadcast platform that enables anyone with a camera and an Internet connection to quickly and easily broadcast to a global audience of unlimited size. In less than two minutes, anyone can become a broadcaster by creating their own channel on Ustream or by broadcasting through their own site, empowering them to engage with their audience and further build their brand. Click here to start a broadcast now or learn more about broadcasting. Ustream’s Shiba Inu Puppy Cam, seen by more than 10 million viewers worldwide, was listed as one of 2008’s top 10 Web videos (Source: AP). Ustream powered more than 3.8 million streams during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration.

Follow Ustream on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UstreamTV

Read the blog: http://www.ustream.tv/blog

Upon hearing that Building 43's Robert Scoble was visiting the Southland, we immediately thought of arranging a sit-down at the National Academy's Science and Entertainment Exchange. The Exchange is the ultimate Rolodex for Directors and Producers seeking to connect with top scientists. The organization strives to bring science into the everyday conversation through the mediums of film and television.



Camera and Editing: Rocky Barbanica

msw

I'm fascinated with Marc Canter, the CEO of Broadband Mechanics. He is positively obsessed with the idea of Building the Open Mesh. Canter is using all existing communication platforms to evangelize his ideas. He's traveling the world to spread the concept that the content we create should be easily movable between any social network platform we choose to participate in. He's also a big proponent of a standard personal ID.

One of my frustrations with the new "social network world" is the sheer number of options appearing on a daily basis. How does one keep up? I can't count the amount of profiles I've filled out over the years. Fortunately, there is a solution on the horizon with the adoption of the OpenID by Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Myspace and more on the way. Now it is possible to efficiently manage a single identity across multiple network environments and communities. The majority of active social network enthusiasts flit between channels. It's no longer a question of what net neighborhood will I participate in, but which ones will I be active in?

Recently Canter gave an Open Mesh speech in Rotterdam and let loose with another powerful theory- "In the future, all software will be social." I can't stop thinking about the implications of this revelation. We should apply this idea to any business or product. If your company is re-vamping a website or launching a product, it is imperative to consider the social aspect. How will my clients/ customers/ users connect with me? How can I create real-time conversation? How will end users connect with each other?

If everything in the future will be social, what will you do to build an open community? Build embedable widgets with home improvement tips. Create a portable network of automotive experts sharing relevant buying tips. Invent a tool that allow us to share your information with our net neighbors. In a highly fragmented world, building a closed network just doesn't make much sense. Be open to the idea of sharing your valuable content and allowing others to easily share it as well. Successful social communication is a two-way street with infinite connection points.

» Read More

It is quite understandable that back in 1776 big news took a few days to reach the Colonies including the momentous signing of the Declaration of Independence. On July 2, 1776, John Adams wrote to his beloved wife Abigale the following, “The Second of July 1776 will be a memorable epoch in the history of America. It will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance … It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever.” Of course we celebrate the day the Declaration was adopted- July 4th. The breath taking revolutionary news took a few days to reach George Washington and the rest of the Colonies. But the news changed the world, the citizens were energized to action. They did something, they sacrificed for the concept of Freedom. They united behind this wonderful ideal of Democracy, this thought that had only existed in their imagination and might not ever come to be.

Can you picture the early Americans huddled in town squares anxiously awaiting news from Philadelphia? Seems hard to believe that news took so long to reach the masses. 232 years later- some information still takes days to reach our consciousness even in this glorious information age. Perhaps we are relying too much on old messengers and delivery methods. We do, however, now have the power to collect the information in real-time and share it with our world. Yet many of us are still relying on the old media gatekeepers to feed us the news they feel is relevant. What if some editor decided that the Declaration wasn't important enough to cover that day? Thankfully, it was the "We the People" who decided to listen intently then disseminate the information to their fellow citizens.

It is truly up to us to listen intently, become more informed citizens and to share our knowledge with our communities. Our forefathers imagined this to be, they sacrificed everything to make it so. Go forth into your virtual town circles and celebrate knowledge, information and your free voice.

The tools are in OUR hands- use a news reader, gather your rss feeds, listen to the debate in real-time, share ideas, excite one another with bold ideas. Connect yourself with BIG thinkers, don't be afraid to converse, blog, twitter, friendfeed or share.

Celebrate the greatness of the past, the wonder of the future and the hope that our imaginations are constantly alive with possibilities- it's a Revolutionary way of thinking.

Read- The Declaration of Independence

Debate or Comment- here

msw

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What a great week, filled with exciting new information. My mind is swirling and alive.

I can relate to "The Dude" - "You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous. And uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head."

Here's a rundown on the new information that has come to light-

- Change.Gov - I will be watching the ways technology is being used to improve our eGovernment. We are seeing a growing emphasis on research and development, green technologies and innovative solutions to our current dilemmas. I'm encouraged to see that we will have a Chief Technology Officer appointment soon.

- Debating A.I. - After watching an hour long discussion on the future of super-computing, I am convinced that we shouldn't try to make computers more like us. When we attempt to emulate true human interaction we end up with incomplete, faulty code. As argued by Jaron Lanier, we should be focused on clean code based on science rather than a "conscious" code. Lanier points to the horrible Clippy as an example of programmers "wasting half of their cycles on ideology" instead of solid engineering.

- Social Media, Connecting Smart Minds - Allen Stern of Center Networks captured an amazing street side speech by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. Though his impassioned talk is riddled with expletives, Gary reminds us that conversation is the key to success. He encourages us to engage EVERYWHERE. Don't worry that the big co's aren't using the new communication tools, use that to your advantage.

- Web 2.0 Summit, Entrepreneurs on Parade - Jerry Yang, CEO of Yahoo! seemed a bit confused during his brutal interview at this weeks tech gathering. He states that the Y! is evolving into a platform company or an advertising tool or a starting point destination. Huh? I sure hope they pick one of those things and become truly excellent in that space. Kevin Rose of Digg echoes Vaynerchuck's admonition to actively ENGAGE in as many places as possible on the social net. If you run a company, be out front of your product. Be the champion, the one who is creating real-time conversation. View videos from the Web 2.0 Summit speakers including Jerry Yang, venture capitalist John Doerr and Lance Armstrong here.

My takeaway from all this input? Humans are amazing. We are seeing dynamic changes in the ways we connect. Each day brings new sparks to my brain, lighting up with potential. I'm glad you are here to share this journey. Let's keep the conversation flowing.

Follow me on Twitter here. Jump into the FriendFeed stream here. For regular updates, please consider subscribing to this blog here. Now go out there and be the little achievers you were meant to be!

msw

As the year comes to a close, I'm doing the normal reflecting on what's been and more importantly, looking forward to what's next. We've tried to concentrate on film to express what we are seeing in the moving net. This space has taken the short end of the clock as I cut down on the posts. Hope to rectify that in '10.

Caught a few big waves this year- I'm grateful for the journey and for the fellow surfers who I've met along the stream of '09.

It was a year ago today that I wrote of 'the story of the year' being Leo Laporte's 24 hour live coverage of the iPhone. So it seems fitting that as we say farewell to another year I share with you the 'big story' of my year, as I see I.T.



As Marc Ostrick and I thought about visiting with Leo in Petaluma- we thought about his impact on Tech, Media and Distribution. It's good to know that good guys sometimes win. Read the full post on eGuiders.

We've uploaded the full interview with Leo for OPEN remixing - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Thank you to the thousands of people who took time to watch our mini-docs this year. Thank you for showing us that the humanity behind Tech matters most.

msw

If we’ve learned anything from 2008 it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Seismic shifts in politics and wall street happened in a flash. A sense of surrealism took hold, the unbelievable became the norm. Every journo, pundit and potificators of culture will analyze 2008 in minute detail, each with their own spin. Although the seconds are ticking down to the dawn of a new year, each passing moment brings for me a new revelation.

The year is continuing to kick out breaking news. We’ve covered the RIAA declaring a cease-fire on individuals. The story broke on Friday with some fine coverage on CNET and The Wall Street Journal. It seems like we may be close to the end of business as usual in the music industry. I monitor the happenings, developments, stumbles and miscalculations of the music biz because it is a study of what not to do in the social media era. Ignore consumers, alienate fans, stick to old-world practices and watch your fortresses crumble. Those that innovate will succeed. 2008 gave us possible solutions to connecting artists in a more cohesive community with their audience. NoiseTrade came on strong this year. They bill themselves as “Fair Trade Music.” Before Radiohead reported their success with the pay-what-you-want experiment, NoiseTrade was empowering artists with widgets that offered fans a easily understood way to encourage patronage. They rightly won Mashable’s Open Web Award for music.

Social media is influencing everything today. We’re becoming more aware of the socialnets because the old-guard news outlets are falling all over themselves to report on the shiny new tech toys. We are still tapping on wires, they just have different names now. This was the year when Twitter became the “Kleenex” of micro communications. The info-flow is now trackable, in real-time because millions of people are putting their insta-thoughts on public timelines. Louis Gray is correctly debating whether Twitter will go mainstream, Guy Kawasaki tells Robert Scoble that his world is now Twitter centric .

The adoption of open-source is becoming more widespread, we no longer have to suffer isolation when trying to figure out how to cook a great meal, install software, experience hic-ups with tech. The community is assembled and is willing to share their knowledge. FriendFeed, for me became a trusted real-time knowledge base. We become stronger when we help and ask for assistance. Marc Canter told us that someday the web will be live and open. 2008 was the year the I saw that dream actually coming true. Scoble burns away the remaining hours of 08 trying to implement his perfected real-time info-flow.

I am a documentarian by vocation. It’s my challenge to observe and reflect broad concepts of reality. I became hyper-active in several emerging social net communities this year. I wanted to silently observe the changing landscape but was drawn into the conversation. I’m an often bewildered by what passes as “mainstream” I am not a populist, the “crowd” is often wrong.

Once upon a time we relied on Nielsen Ratings to tell us what was popular on TV. Box Office reports guided our collective film interactions. Now we are looking more at what like-minded friends are taking in. Time is my most precious asset. The films I see are selected upon my exact interests in the medium as a tool for storytelling. I’m finding “smarter” recommendations on the social-tubes. Let the normies eat-up the latest blockbusting drivel, we are on a knowledge quest here. The year in film produced some original ideas like Man On a Wire , Synecdoche, New York but overall, it was not a great year in film. My favorite flick of 08 was Wall•E. It’s beautifully executed and a reminder that purpose drives life. I smile when thinking about this film.

It was only a few weeks ago that I began working with Peter Himmelman. I’m Directing his Furious World weekly live concert/ conversation. It brings together several BIG ideas for me. Great music, connection and using social tools to band together in community are the overarching themes. To have the opportunity to walk down this unknown world together is a joy. 2008 was the application of ideas for me. We are maturing in our use of tech options.

What was the biggest “story” of 2008 for me? It wasn’t the meltdown in the financial markets, the forced inevitability of political change or company A introducing exciting product. This was the year of us SEEING network differently. One of the great innovators in social-tech is Leo Laporte, he puts ideas into action daily. This year over 271,000 people watched his live streaming “24-Hours of the iPhone." These are truly staggering numbers. More people were watching Leo live than were tuned into MSNBC at that moment. Laporte has assembled his own DIY television network. His “netcasts” are heard by hundreds of thousands. He’s figured out how to make this social-net work. While you will see many stories of social-tool A, B or C in the year-end re-caps, they have forgotten the BIG story of the year. Leo Laporte changed the reality of what can be done on the socialnet.

Take notice: The Revolution has happened this year. It wasn’t Televised- it was streamed, for free.


msw

CES was a cacophony of sights and sounds but Marc Ostrick, Robert Scoble and I made it out of Vegas filled with great options for Scoble's studio. We hunted for the tech that we could implement almost immediately. We met with engineers and technicians from some of the biggest consumer electronic manufactures in an attempt to select a mix of gear that provides the best options for a streaming studio.

In Part 4 of The Spark Series we tour CES with Scoble:



We will be announcing final gear selections soon.

msw

For about a month now I've been engaged with an exciting collaboration. The words 'musical and theater' aren't part of my everyday life but hang around artists long enough and it's bound to happen. Some backstory- our Music Director, Lanny Cordola and I have walked down a wide creative path for nearly 15 years. Back in my 'label' days, Lanny would propose project after project. One week it would be an all-star Bluegrass album, the next, an ambient world sound-scape collection. I would feign mild protest but knew that once Lanny had a sound swirling around his noggin' there was only one option- express. We very rarely lost money on these ideas and occasionally actually made a little something. I'm aware that the journey begins with a yes.

As I evolved into tv and film, Lanny came with- scoring the picture. I could throw out a cue description like 'we have a scene with a grizzled custom chopper builder from a swampy part of country,' he would create a sonic extravaganza that had me tasting gator on a stick. His notes caused me to re-think and the end result grander that what I could have imagined.

Now he's turned the table on me, writing the scene and widening the circle with a very talented group of dreamers. His mind heard a musical about a rock star obsessed with poetry, art and theology. Knowing Lanny as a brother, it seemed natural that he would write about Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Yeates, Virginia Woolf, Frederich Nietzche and a dozen other wild pen wielders. The vision of pulling it all together was a journey he started with writer Shawn Perry for a project called 'The Road.' He wanted to show a world of confusion and discovery of a globe traveling musician searching for wonder and answers. Cut to Lanny meeting Donovan Leitch, the son of the Hurdy Gurdy Sunshine Superman iconoclast. Donovan's approach to music is as wild as Lanny's- there are no limits to what will be done. It's an abandonment and a soul embrace of symphonic ideas. Donovan has pulled off some of the wildest shows in town including starring as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Itch during its four month residency at legendary Los Angeles venue The Roxy. The two re-worked the material, brought in the cross-pollinated Gyspy sounds of Fishtank Ensemble and attracted veteran stage Director Ken Roht. After months of pre-pre-pre production the seeds of Dark Root of the Dream had bloomed.

Tomorrow night at the Largo at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles, the first unveiling of Dark Root of the Dream happens. I've been documenting the joining of divergent worlds, hearing strange sounds, witnessing the birth of something special. I've been able to have a front row of these creative realities. There's talk of a tv show, a tour, multiple extensions of Dark Root of the Dream. What I know right now is that I want to celebrate the accomplishments of artistic bravery. To acknowledge the experience, mark the occasion here and share it with you.

When you have a chance to draw near to creative energies expressing everything they have without fear of failure - do it. Take a moment to breathe in the awe of art- in all of its forms. We are surrounded by the providence of life.



Google Search for Dark Root of the Dream
myspace
facebook
twitter of Mr. E


msw

I had all but giving up on terrestrial radio in the City of Angels until 100.3 - The Sound - started beaming around town. The number two market in the country is just a morass of piffle stingers and hits for the masses. Even the once mighty cutting edge stations long ago abandoned the notion of being different and truly breaking new sonic ground. The national congloms swooped into LA and took the local flavor out- programming from afar and strangling the fun right out of the airwaves. A market this big is an expensive proposition and taking risks are costly but for the love of X- we are supposed to be taste makers!

One magical day I was zooming up the 405 and came across a station playing Elvis Costello's '(The Angels Wanna Wear) My Red Shoes' followed by Mark Knopfler's 'Sailing to Philadelphia.' Was this a mirage? Could it be that sanity had returned to the dial? Turns out that my radio had landed on a village of passionate music lovers armed with a huge record collection. I locked it into my presets - actually assigned several buttons so as to not fumble around with lesser stations. The more I dug into The Sound, the richer the layers became. Soon I was hooked into their brilliant Sunday Night programming of letting artists have "my turn" by becoming the M.D. for a shift. Who they select for this role speaks loudly of a grand musical ethos. Tom Chaplin of Keane turned me onto some sonic Brit wonders. Michael Franti spun us around the globe and Brian Wilson danced with Power Pop. Other guest maestros include Kevin Nealon, Beck, The Pretenders and even B.B. King!

Each week as I drove to Santa Monica to Direct Peter Himmelman's Furious World, I would use The Sound's giant electronic billboard in Lawndale as my 'event horizon.' They light up the sign with the song currently being played and it would often give me inspiration for that weeks show. The diverse artists being played gave me hope that quality still mattered here. We even received a Skype call from one of their hosts during the show saying she was a fan. The interaction lifted me and I know the call encouraged Peter as well.

If deep radio is to survive, it must connect, build a fierce and loyal tribe and (gasp) empower music discovery. Last Sunday (May 10th) at about 9:10pm I heard a band that reminded me of The Talking Heads but they were singing about tech. The on-air host said the name of the artist and gave the album title but I was distracted by a phone call and missed the exact details. The song stuck in my head and I went hunting for title. To my shock - The Sound has a listing of all the songs played on the station by time and date. I clicked on the appropriate details and came up with- 9:11 - The Great Defector by Bell X1. Pleased by this discovery, I blip'd it out and added Bell X1 to my iTunes.

I started looking under the hood of their site and smiled. The just get 'IT.' You can subscribe to their RSS feed of recently played artists. Follow their updates on Twitter, become a fan on FaceBook or friend them on Myspace. Observant surfers will notice that each SocialNet Silo is treated unique by The Sound - they know to speak in the tone appropriate for each particular 'space.'

Their own site is complete with layers of nifty jquery, clever css and plenty of rich media. Of course there is a live stream option for those who live outside SoCal. The site has an interesting layout that doesn't copy the standard blather, clutter of other radio station sites. I don't think it's a coincidence that most stations sport the worst sites on the net - it's just cookie cutting laziness. But The Sound proves that when you care enough to find your own voice - people sit up and take notice, become evangelists and champion the cause of quality.

Now go forth and fill your ears with The Good Sound!

msw

Feedly is the Firefox extension that turns your Google Reader into a conversation. Feedly empowers conversation by tightly integrating Google Reader with social media services like Twitter, FriendFeed, Delicious and others. The Feedly team has put countless hours into the development of this great service and has been quick to respond to community needs. A few days ago I noticed that Feedly has replaced their right corner blank box that formerly read - "Sponsor This" with a DonorsChoose.org widget. This is a wonderful development.

Services like Feedly must be profitable in order to continue their innovative work. I am a big believer that you should support "free" services by clicking on a few ads now and then. During this shrinking ad dollar market environment, advertisers are seeking quality. gReaders are information seekers, trend makers, educated and social by nature. They share news discoveries with their own networks and are influencers. I am pleasantly surprised that the first uses of this valuable ad space is being used for a great cause. Now more than ever, we must invest into the future of innovation. Education is the most important element in a free market. Thanks to Feedly, I am now aware of the tech. communities "education challenge." Fans of leading tech. blogs like Scobelizer, TechCrunch, O'Reilly, Ars Technica and others can help students get the tools they need to learn.

DonorsChoose.org is a simple but powerful innovation in social entrepreneurship - Teachers ask. You choose. Students learn. Investing in a student is the best way to ensure an exciting and vibrant future for us all.

Because I actively interact with Feedly, I paid attention and acted on their "ad" and I am richer for the experience. Relevant information makes me happy.

msw

This week Dr. Tony Shore of ObviousPop and I cover the latest news in music and tech with an all-star panel. We're joined by Joe Kirk of NoiseTrade Lucas Hendrickson of The Tennessean and the "not-a-blog" Large Land Mammal plus Steve Spalding of How to Slip an Atom.






To subscribe via iTunes - click here
Want the show via RSS? click here

We record the show live on Monday's at 7 pm PST. You can join the live stream here

Highlights from the show:

Warner Bros. pulls music videos, fans and bands say ?

EMI and Universal take a better tactic with YouTube.

Zzz, salez numberz for the Zune.

Did you know that the White House has a rockin' record collection?

Listen to the show as we try to figure out how to make some money for Twitter.

Originally published on my myspace page, this post received a few hundred views there. Since, if you're like me and have all but forgotten that "space" I'm posting this here for the rest of us.

myspace reminds me of what AOL was (back in the day.) We rushed towards connectivity at the blazing 9600 baud rate and we're happy... for a moment. Then the REAL web hit. Dancing sparkle .gifs ushered in an age of unlimited visual possibilities.

myspace started with a genuine desire to build community around music. What it's evolved into is a seemingly darker alley of which I now seldom roam. This is of no fault of the original idea. It was THE place to be, awash in possibilities. But we grew, we discovered Blogs, FaceBook, Twitter, gReader and fell in love with FriendFeed

I host a couple of talkcasts in which we have come to the conclusion that myspace was. The general sense in the tech, blogging community is that it's time to unplug our profiles, forget the past and move on. But we could be wrong.

Last week, I had a conversation with a man who is greatly responsible for what you see here (not myspace, but the entire visual space of the net.) He told me that myspace can still be a leader in music, has the potential to re-leap frog over the newcomers and become vibrant once more. If it wasn't for his track record of being not only right, but a person who continually shapes the reality of technology, I would have laughed.

This got me to thinking about my role in all of this. Was I just being a follower, a high-horse net snob? Perhaps.

I've cut down the weeds that were the clutter of "my" space, took a look around the ol' neighborhood and saw some real value in this "fixer-upper." For the time being, I'll stick around and work with you to bring out the potential of the place we once gathered then abandoned. It's going to take some work, some real conversation and the desire for true community but it's always possible to renovate and improve.

[ A few days after this post on myspace, I received the following comment from my Nephew Rob. It is a moment on myspace I shall never forget. Perhaps there is something to this space. However, it's only when we make it Ourspace does it sing again.]

Nicely put. You, sir, are the reason that I have a profile on this random, muddled world. Back when nobody had heard of this site, it was you that invited me to join so that you could show me stills and videos that you'd been working on. It was, at that point, a novel idea that gave the artist a forum at which to share their art - or at least I viewed it as such.

You've always been a step ahead of the game, where using technology is concerned, though. In 1999, it was you that said, "The future of music will be tied to the Internet." And in the days that followed, even before Apple gave us iTunes, we had Napster, which helped to develop consumers' habit for searching the web for music. Around that same time, you also said that the Internet would be the place where music and video would be linked in a consumer friendly way, and now we have YouTube. In the last ten years, in fact, most of what you saw coming has come to fruition. The one thing that didn't come is that Battle of the Bands that you envisioned, but it showed up on Fox, and is vastly less interesting and artful than you envisioned.

To your friend's credit, myspace is a place that has introduced me some pretty good music, both directly and indirectly. It was while perusing this site that I discovered Kalai, who wrote three of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, in "She," "September" and "On My Mind," and Tristan Prettyman, who I saw at the House of Blues in Chicago last summer. Prettyman's music is gloriously beautiful and the song she did with G.Love, "Beautiful," can make even the most rhythmically (that'd be me) challenged get up and dance a jig! And after a friend found her on MySpace, I was also introduced to Brandi Carlile, who's recently been showing up on CMT, but is a lot more Kris Kristofferson or Hank Williams than Carrie Underwood or Faith Hill.

Oh, myspace has some redeeming qualities. And it can, once again, become a place of art and artists, even beyond the music world. But I think it's going to take a couple of "high-horse net snobs" to bring it back to that place. So fix 'er up, sir! And keep publishing those photos.


Rob

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The seconds tick down on yet another year. A year that for many, will be remembered as a transitional time. We had high expectations of wonder for what turned into a season of great re-alignment. Most of us paused to ponder the significant economic shifts. Some noticed the "instafying" of the info-flow. Media outlets tried to stay relevant by covering Twitter. The music biz stuck to old thinking. As a collective, we studied the DOW, sought solace in social media and fought over little things.

The end of the year seems more like a comma to me rather than a period. What will the new administration bring with regards to a new way of re-thinking government? Will the Large Hadron Collider finally be fixed and reveal hidden dimensions of reality? Who will outlast the credit crunch? Are we finally realizing that we are not defined by our possessions? Who will still be viable in the social-net scene 365 days from now? 2008 was a year of great questioning for me. I'm finding new tools of info retrieval. Beyond RSS, real-time web services and the label of the semantic web lays the smart-group data collective. My Universe grew as I got to know some BIG thinkers this year. I'm genuinely hopeful that we will use our new tools to challenge each other more in 2009.

The only guarantee we have for the coming year is that things will be different. The canvas is before us, what shall we paint?

Humbleness became a more valuable asset this year. Once mighty omni-corps fell before us and apologized for not changing sooner. Today there is no excuse for hiding innovation. Walk in courage next year knowing that once infallible titans of industry got it wrong - really wrong. Fear not that your ideas are different. Be bold in the understanding that great contribution is controversial only to those who are afraid of change.

Charles Darwin overcame great sea-sickness to discover great wonders. His questions were bigger than the pain of the exploration. His drive was questioned by the majority. Why shouldn't we just take the status quo as "good-enough?" Because "good-enough" isn't Truth, "good-enough" is not what we are meant to settle for. On one of his long voyages, he took time to write to his sister. Perhaps not feeling physically well, he shared the hope that drove him:

"We have in truth, the world before us. Think of the Andes; the luxuriant forest of the Guayquil; the islands of the South Sea & New Whales. How many magificent & characteristic views, how many & curious tribes of men we shall see. What fine opportunities for gelology & for studying the infinite host of living beings. Is this not a prospect to keep up the most flagging spirit?"

Indeed!


msw

So what does a classic news brand do to compete in the streaming world? For Time Magazine, the answer to the grow or go equation is to launch a new video service complete with classic and current news features. First published in 1923, the magazine is countering declining ad sales for the print version with a play into the digital field. The site is well done with plenty of social options for sharing including the ubiquitous Twitter and Facebook tools.

The classic videos are sure to be popular as Time has plenty of archives to keep you busy for a few decades. Impressive HD versions are available and they are smart to include links to their official YouTube channel.



msw

Like the age old riddle- How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop, no one knows how long it takes for a Meme to happen. Memes can happen in a flash like in the case of the Motrin Mom Ad debate or take years to break.

Across my radar screen today, I saw a building buzz for Jeff Bridges photos of the 'Making of Iron Man'. Jeff is known for taking great shots while making his films. Often, he'll compile the best stills and create a book that is given to the entire crew. His website is a true ode to creativity and very popular. The site received a nice boost in traffic today because several active social media enthusiasts shared the link to his book. I Twitter'd the link six months ago during the initial excitement of the Iron Man film. So why today, is this site spiking? Someone caught someone's attention just at the right moment. The link spread across several networks including FriendFeed and Delicious. The random timing of this Meme proves to me that a Meme can't be planned, it just happens on its own time.

I'm encouraged that a great site is timeless. Don't be discouraged if your "shares" don't immediately light up the socialnet. Quality will rise to the top, eventually.

I've been noticing a "time trend" on FriendFeed. During the day we tend to share more business related articles that get little attention. At night though, people are more focused on items streaming across the network. FriendFeed Memes happen when the sun goes down, the night crew starts buzzing around interesting items. I would venture to say that Digg, BoingBoing, StumpleUpon also operate in similar fashions. A trusted voice will pick up on an item, share it with their networks and if it's the right "moment" a Meme is born.

The socialnet is capable of creating instant buzz or finding an older item and pushing it to the top of current public perception. The socialnet operates in a very curious time warp.


msw

As we grow more connected through technologies, we are empowered to discover, learn and celebrate the human achievement. Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web are the progressive results of the "human" touch to the net. We are learning from each other how we want the net to respond to our information requests and how to share information more efficiently.

We are seeing communities adapt technologies faster than ever before thanks to the ability to discuss desires and ideas. When Twitter hit the scene, there were some who said 'that's great, but what if...' The latest collaborative efforts to adapt good ideas into a better reality include TweetDeck and the RSS reader Feedly. Both of these adaptations allow us to share our discovered information with our social communities.

Nelson Mandela states it best, "A traveler through a country would stop at a village and he didn't have to ask for food or for water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him. That is one aspect of Ubuntu but it will have various aspects. Ubuntu does not mean that people should not address themselves. The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you be able to improve?"

Share your knowledge of life today, dance with the hope that we are growing together!


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

msw

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