More interesting developments with Skype. Stuart Henshall reports in the new Skype Journal that Skype’s voice messaging service currently in beta trial could be rolled out soon. New information on Skype’s website has pricing details: The price for Voicemail is 5 Euro for a 3 month subscription or 15 Euro for a 12 month subscription. […]
Category: Web/Tech
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #14: March 10, 2005
Content summary: Listeners’ comments about the interview with Robert Scoble; how to get podcasts automatically with podcatcher software; discussion about the Robert Scoble interview; a new PR blog and a resurrected one make their debuts; communication consultancies focused on new-media channels; IABC; a little rant about Blogrolling. Show notes for March 10, 2005 Welcome to […]
SkypeIn beta launched
Things move very quickly these days, especially in the technology industry. No sooner had I posted commentary yesterday about more developments at Skype including SkypeIn – the new pay-for service from Skype, where you can get a phone number and people can call you, expected to be launched soon – than a tip-off from a […]
New business podcast show launched
A new business-focused podcast launched yesterday – The BizBlog Show, presented by Jeremy Wright and Tyme White. It’s a promising new entrant into the burgeoning business podcasting space. As the name implies, this show’s primary focus is on business blogging. The first show, a bit under 30 minutes, has great sound quality and a good […]
Why SkypeOut calls sound different
Now this is useful to know – a simple explanation as to why a phone call via SkypeOut doesn’t always have good audio quality. I’m thinking in particular of the interview with Michael Wiley of GM that Shel and I did last month for our bi-weekly podcast show. Shel and I were on Skype and […]
Brits invade US again at SXSW
My RSS reader this morning is full of posts about SXSW, the South by Southwest Festivals and Conferences taking place in Austin, Texas, from 11-20 March. Most of these posts are about the SXSW Interactive Festival, which runs from 11-15 March. This event “brings together uber-geeks and digital innovators from around the world for four […]
European spotlight on learning about new media
Three great learning, professional development and personal/business networking events coming up in continental Europe in April: 1. New Communications Forum 2005: 5-6 April, Eurodisney Resort, Paris. An interactive, international forum – comprising an extended, meaningful conversation and the sharing of ideas and theories about the future of communications – this event is the European follow-up […]
The age of media personalization
If the 19th century was the age of the newspaper and the 20th century the age of radio and television, this century will be defined as the age of media personalization, says Reuters CEO Tom Glocer. In a feature in the Financial Times last week, Glocer writes about a simple concept – forget the old […]
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #15: March 14, 2005
Content summary: A new phone-in comment service now available; listeners’ comments: on sound quality, a suggestion for interview transcriptions; customer service and the Technorati example, government lobbying and Cisco’s new blog; the revolutionary fervour of blogging and the evolutionary development of mainstream media; ethics in PR; IABC: leadership and transparency in discussion. Show notes for […]
The pending spam crisis for hosted blogs
In announcing new data on the growth of blogs as tracked by Technorati – over 7.8 million at the end of February, double the number tracked just last October – Technorati CEO Dave Sifry highlights a disturbing fact: Part of the growth of new weblogs created each day is due to an increase in spam […]
Skype is not yet ready for a blog
Stuart Henshall asks whether Skype should start blogging. Will Pate says Skype should. Will makes some very convincing arguments for why they should, including suggesting Skype hires a Chief Blogging Officer to be the new proactive interface between the company and its growing customer base. The CBO, and a blog, would play a major role […]
TypePad access problems
TypePad have had some server issues during the past few days, meaning that you may have had some problems at times in accessing blogs hosted on TypePad. This alert note was posted by Typepad at the weekend. Today, though, for a period of about two hours this afternoon, I could neither log in to TypePad […]
Video learning about trackbacks and del.icio.us
You all know what trackbacks are, right? The pings that you set up between a post on your blog with a post on someone else’s blog in order to link the two? If you’re not sure what they are, you can read this definition on Wikipedia. Better still, you can watch three 9-minute video presentations […]
Yahoo to launch social networking portal
A new consumer-focused social networking offering from Yahoo will soon be launched in beta, according to information on the Yahoo website. Called Yahoo 360°, the new service will include a wide range of offerings including blogs and photo sharing. The most interesting aspect of the offering looks to be the way in which all the […]
Ego surfing with Preople
Anyone who writes a blog does a bit of ego surfing now and again. Or even again and again. It’s true, isn’t it? You know, looking for your name on Google and Technorati to see how many mentions you have. Checking your site stats to see who’s linking to you. Et cetera. Via Krijn Schuurman, […]
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #16: March 17, 2005
Content summary: Listeners’ comments: on PR ethics, slowing down podcasts, learning the ins and outs, listening to a ground-breaking first podcast, music and intersection with the past; Podshow.com and lowering the barriers to entry; folksonomies and categorizing your information; new communication channels too early for Europeans; iPodder new release and FeedDemon’s podcasting. Show notes for […]
Our podcast rigs
During Thursday’s edition of The Hobson & Holtz Report, Shel and I both promised to post a photo of the kit we both use for producing our bi-weekly podcast shows. Well, here are the photos that are posted on the podcast blog: The pic on the left is Shel’s rig; on the right is mine. […]
Meet your virtual policeman
One answer to stretched resources and budgets, and a leap forward in a practical use of the latest technology. BBC News reports: The UK’s first ‘virtual’ police station is up and running, giving residents face-to-face access to a police officer 24 hours a day. The video link connects a kiosk in the foyer at Mumbles […]
Defining the future of blogs and social networks in Europe
A conference taking place in Paris next month is rapidly shaping up into what could be a defining event in Europe about social networks, corporate blogging, nanopublishing and where it’s all heading. An initiative by Loic Le Meur, Executive VP Europe of Six Apart, the one-day event was originally known as "Internet 2.0." It has […]
A stroll through the neighbourhood
Today is the first really spring-like day of the year in Amsterdam. A hazy but sunny day, temperature about 19 Celsius (about 66 F), so it felt nice for my wife and I to take a stroll for an hour or so around our neighbourhood with my camera this afternoon. I snapped quite a few […]