Golden Globes Canceled
January 7, 2008
The Writers Guild of America claims its first casualty.
The Huffington Post reports that sources say that NBC will not be televising the Golden Globes as planned on January 13th. Even if it were held untelevised, will be canceled.
“And the Hollywood Foreign Press Association instead will merely make an announcement of the winners. I’ve not yet received any official confirmation of any of this. But insiders tell me that NBC Universal topper Jeff Zucker and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association which bestows the Golden Globes made the decision together.”
Now, we wait for the official confirmation via the newswire.
Update:
The HFPA, responsible for bestowing the awards, now simply plans on holding a press conference to announce the 25 winners for the film and TV honors on Sunday at the Beverly Hilton, which will be aired as an hourlong NBC News report.
“We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,” Jorge Camara, HFPA president, said in a statement.
Odeo to Relaunch with New Website, Media Player
January 7, 2008
Odeo, the original podcast directory, is ramping up for a re-launch early this year.
The launch which is expected at the end of Q1 will have some major enterprise developments with their desktop podcast aggregator, media player and mobile device synchronization tool.
Eric Rupert, COO of SonicMountain, Odeo’s parent company, said “we expect to be released for a more “open” beta sometime at the beginning of Feb.”
Rupert explained that the new Odeo desktop media player also contains an embedded browser. “It’s a client for subscribing to, watching and listening to podcasts which can also transcode the content and sync it with a number of portable devices including smartphones.”
Is Audacity for Mac OS X Development Dead?
January 7, 2008
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
You can use Audacity to Record live audio, convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs, edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files, cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together, change the speed or pitch of a recording, and more.
Audacity has been used by many podcasters as an entry-level podcasting tool, appears to be dead on the Mac platform.
Podcasting News is reporting that richardash1981 at the Audacity Team Forum said “There is currently no one with a Mac actively contributing to the development of Audacity, hence at the moment no Mac releases. 1.3.4 for OS X will appear when someone volunteers to compile it and sort the remaining bugs out.”
If you’re a Mac OS X developer, now is the time to act. Join the Audacity Team Forum to bring this release to the public.
You can download Audacity free and learn the basics of recording, editing and mixing with Audacity by reading their helpful tutorials.
FlyTunes Launches Mobile Music Service for Apple iPhone
January 7, 2008
At the Consumer Electonics Show, FlyTunes introduced its new digital music service for the Apple iPhone, Pod Touch and other portable media players and cell phones.
The FlyTunes service offers mobile users a personalized radio-like experience, with thousands of channels of digital music that can be enjoyed anywhere they go, regardless of wireless connection.
FlyTunes outshines satellite radio in a number of ways:
- FlyTunes does not require a receiver or additional hardware purchase; it works with the cell phone or personal media player already in a consumer’s pocket.
- FlyTunes offers access to over 100 times more channels than satellite radio, covering every conceivable musical taste.
- FlyTunes plays everywhere, unlike satellite radio, which does not work inside buildings, or on planes.
- FlyTunes allows users to personalize their music channels. While listening, users can promote favorite songs and flag unwanted ones (never to be played again).
- There are no setup or monthly fees for FlyTunes.
FlyTunes CEO Sam Abadir said that “FlyTunes bridges the massive disconnect that exists between the hundreds
of millions of cell phones and portable media players people already own, and thousands of Internet radio stations that broadcast every type of music they could want.” Abadir continues, “from the user’s perspective, FlyTunes provides an extremely easy-to-use service that allows them to quickly et the music they want and to discover new music.”
FlyTunes allows users to create their own customized music channels by searching over 20,000 Internet radio stations to find music that matches their preferences. Hours of personalized music can be cached to a portable mediaplayer or cell phone and listened to anywhere. Portable devices with 3G capability can quickly cache additional music, greatly reducing battery drain.
FlyTunes Inc. was founded as 2006 by a group of seasoned PC industry veterans to create cutting edge media management technology for portable digital media players.
To learn more, visit the FlyTunes website.
Source: Reuters
Voices.com’s In Fast Company’s Fast 50
January 7, 2008
The Fast 50 is Fast Company magazine’s annual readers’ challenge, a worldwide search for ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Our goal is to remind the world of all the good that’s created when passionate people with big ideas and strong convictions are determined to make a difference.
This year, Fast Company is looking for unsung heroes and rising stars among our readers: senior executives, in-the-trenches team leaders, engineers, marketers, and other high-impact players from all kinds of backgrounds.
Voices.com, an online marketplace, gives organizations the ability to spread their messages using the human voice to persuade others to take notice and inspire action.
Issues of great international and personal interest are addressed on a daily basis through jobs that are posted to voice-over professionals at Voices.com. Urgency translates directly through vocal performance, and the final product, an audio recording of an important message, is promptly and cost-effectively acquired by people who work to change the world, using the voice-over as a primary agent of change.
Studies have proven that voice-overs are extremely effective, that they affect and move people, and also that the unique voice print of an individual cannot be replicated or compared to any other form of communication.
The editors at Fast Company will announce the winners of the Fast 50 in January 2008.
Until then, feel free read Voices.com’s Fast 50 nomination in full, add your comments or read and review other entries as they come in at www.fastcompany.com/fast50.
10 Technological Innovations Introduced at CES
January 6, 2008
As we gear up for CES 2008, a quick look to the past reveals that the annual technology conference has been, and still is to a large degree, the venue of choice for introducing new hardware, software and inspiring change.
- Videocassette recorder (VCR) 1970
- Pong home console by Atari, 1975
- Camcorder 1981Compact disc player 1981
- Commodore 64 personal computer 1982
- Mini disc 1993
- Digital versatile disc (DVD) 1996
- High-definition television (HDTV) 1998
- XBOX game console by Microsoft, 2001
- Plasma television 2001
- Internet television (IPTV) 2005
CES 2008 runs from January 7-10 in Las Vegas.
Source: Consumer Electronics Assn.
Bobbin Beam Records Voice Over Promo for San Diego Museum of Man “A Day in Pompeii” Exhibit
January 6, 2008
Bobbin Beam, voice actress and female voice talent recently recorded television tags for Jean Paul Salons, NY, and Time Warner Cable San Diego. Bobbin’s voice narrates the documentary promo for “A Day In Pompeii” exhibit, opening soon at the San Diego Museum of Man, and she now narrates a Southern Border Promo program for DHL Global Forwarding.
Bobbin’s voice narrates a series of elearning Modules for the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine, and for Banco Internacional, Costa Rica.
Not to be left out, Bobbin records for telephone messaging systems and can now be heard as the voice of San Diego’s Travel Support Center, On the Ave Hotel in New York City, and Hotel Amarano, Burbank.
Bobbin also managed fit in some pro bono work, recording a podcast for the visually challenged, soon to be available on www.airsla.org.
Source: Bobbin Beam
Writers Guild of America Signs Interim Deal with United Artists
January 6, 2008
What’s going on with the Writers Strike?
As weeks of walking the picket lines have turned into months, more and more producers are taking action and striking deals with the WGA to reinstate their programming on major network television, including the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
It appears that Worldwide Pants (Letterman’s company) isn’t the only production house with goals of getting back to work.
Reports from Variety and Hollywood Reporter as of January 5th, 2008 claim that United Artists (UA) is set to go ahead with an interim pact with the Writers Guild of America, giving the newly helmed organization headed by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner (as of 2006), some breathing room to allow the UA to bring writers back to work on feature films in efforts to save other productions from falling through the cracks.
Atlantic Wave Radio Airs Quality Podsafe Music With No Interruptions
January 6, 2008
Atlantic Wave Radio plays new podsafe music each week which is complimented by extra interviews and complete show notes for each episode on their website.
At Podcasting News, Steve from Atlantic Wave Radio says “We are back to our usual schedule with a 30 minute show packed with lots of podsafe music that isn’t interrupted, no fast forwarding in the car or fumbling for the mp3 player in your pocket, relax we make music fun again.”
Atlantic Wave Radio, which is owned and operated by Pod-Star Podcasting has produced over 100 podcasts since starting in 2005, right back at the beginning of the podcasting medium which equates to one new podcast a week.
To hear some fresh independent music, tune into Atlantic Wave Radio by subscribing to their podcast.
The Chipmunks’ Mainstream Appeal Delivers Dividends
January 5, 2008
Quick-to-judge movie critics gave Alvin and crew poor reviews, but the singing chipmunks may just have the last laugh.
The Los Angeles Times noted that:
“The Christmas movie season has been distinguished by two prominent blockbusters: I Am Legend and the sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But the once lowly regarded and poorly reviewed family film Alvin might end up grossing as much as either, and thanks to Alvin‘s modest $55-million budget, the singing sciurids could be far more profitable too.”
So why are audiences picking Alvin and the Chipmunks over the high-action flicks?
One reason is that the movie is based on the 1980s cartoon series. We’re not talking about any cartoon series, but one about a music group of chipmunks. I for one can remember listening to Chipmunks music on… yes, LPs and cassette tapes.
Perhaps the movie is brining back some fond memories for the 25-35 crowd?
What do you think?
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
