My Gallery Updated

Post ImageIf you followed any of the links to pictures in my posts from Seattle, you probably already know that I have been using Flickr. I finally decided that my old gallery just couldn’t cut it anymore and it was time to do something about it. So, I got a Pro account at Flickr, and I’m loving it!

Now when you click on the Gallery button above (if you’re reading this on the web), you’ll get taken to my new portal for photos. You can see my three newest photos in Flickr, and I’ve linked the old gallery archives too (the old site can be browsed exactly the same way as before at http://gallery2.mastermaq.ca if you so choose). The RSS and ATOM links now point to my Flickr feeds. Moving forward, all new photos will be posted to my Flickr account.

If you’re in the market for a solid online photo application, there is just no question you need to get Flickr. You can tag photos, add notes to photos, leave comments, and much more. I definitely recommend Flickr.

Read: My Gallery

Have you heard…Anna Nalick?

Post ImageOne night before the trip to Seattle I was watching MuchMusic before falling asleep, and saw the video for Anna Nalick’s first single “Breathe”. I liked the song enough that I actually got out of bed to write it down.

Well now that I’m back I finally went and got her album, entitled “Wreck of the Day”, and I rather like it! Her music is very easy to listen to. To my very unmusical ear she sounds similar to Jewel, Vanessa Carlton, and Michelle Branch. Actually, there are a couple songs where if I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was the pre-razor-selling-song Jewel.

If you haven’t already heard “Breathe”, I am sure you will eventually. It’s a very good song, catchy and radio friendly, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it there later. A couple other songs that stuck out for me were “Catalyst” and the title track “Wreck of the Day”.

So if you’re looking for something new to listen to, check out Anna Nalick!

Read: Anna Nalick

Apple launches iTunes 4.9

Post ImageApple today launched the new version of iTunes. Version 4.9 adds support for podcasting:

With iTunes 4.9 you can now browse, find, sample and subscribe to thousands of free radio shows – called podcasts – then sync them to your iPod and listen anytime, anywhere.

I installed the application tonight to see for myself what it’s like. There is now a “Podcasts” button on the left, that shows you all of the podcasts you’re subscribed to. You can change some basic settings, like whether or not to download just the newest episode for each podcast. In the top right is a big button that lets you update your subscriptions.

I think it’s great that Apple decided to add podcasting support into the program, because it will probably help increase adoption of the technology. On the other hand, I am pretty unimpressed by iTunes 4.9. It seems like a very half-hearted attempt by Apple.

Read: Apple iTunes

Seattle Trip Day 6

Post ImageYesterday was, as you probably already know, our last day in Seattle. With that in mind, we tried to make the most of it! We started early, and went on a three hour tour. We were easily the youngest people on the little tour bus, and only one other person was Canadian.

The tour itself was quite interesting. We went to the Pike Place Market (where we had been yesterday already), to some of the original areas of the city, near the harbor, to some of the fancy residential districts, to the fish ladder, and a bunch of other places. We learned about the historic fire that almost wiped out all of Seattle, how the city prospered during the Gold Rush, how the city used to be eight feet lower than it is now, and lots of other really interesting history. All the pictures I took are up in Flickr, so you can take a look at where we went and read the descriptions too.

After the tour we checked out of the hotel, went for lunch at McDonalds (we’re on a budget), and headed toward the Space Needle. After the short 90 second ride on the Monorail, we were at the Space Needle, on our way to the 520′ viewing deck. You get a pretty good view of the city, even though they have these thick wires going all the way around the observation deck. You kind of have to sneak the camera in between to get an unobstructed shot. Inside the viewing deck there is lots of history, facts and figures on the Space Needle. It’s am impressive building.

Our flight home was quite late, so to kill some time we walked around downtown a bit, and then went to Barnes and Noble. Starbucks, some reading, and some wireless Internet – what more do you need? We left for the airport relatively early, and ended up sitting around there too because our flight was delayed. We finally arrived back in Edmonton after midnight, and got through customs around 1 AM.

Now that we’re back home, it’s time to get back to work. Fortunately, after seeing all of the cool things at Gnomedex, and after reflecting a little on how successful the Podbot turned out to be, I am excited to get back to programming.

Back in Edmonton

Just a quick post to mention that Dickson and I made it back to Edmonton safely. I’m pretty tired though, so I’ll upload pictures and make my trip post tomorrow.

Heading back to Edmonton tonight

Just sitting in Barnes & Noble on the corner of Pine Street and 7th Avenue here in downtown Seattle, killing some time until we catch our flight later. I’ll have a proper post tonight when we get back to Edmonton (where I hear it is raining, boo). We just did the tourist thing today, which was kinda fun, though the weather could have been a little nicer. All in all, it was fun!

Also been reading some news, and two things stuck out. Oil went over $60 USD a barrel and at almost the same time, Google stock passed the $300 USD per share mark. Coincidence? Probably, but it makes for a good “what if” thought session!

Podbot in MAKE!

Post ImageWe were really fortunate to meet Phillip Torrone at Gnomedex, and to have the opportunity to chat with him about the Podbot. He’s got a new entry up in the MAKE: Blog on our beloved podcasting robot, so check it out. And watch future issues of Make Magazine because you never know, we might publish instructions on how to build your own!

The entry includes a number of pretty cool photos of the Podbot too. I especially like the one of me holding up my tablet with the control software open, looks pretty intense. If this is the first you’ve heard of the Podbot, be sure to check out our official site.

Read: Make Blog

Seattle Trip Day 5

Post ImageToday was just one of those days. We slept in a little. We didn’t do a whole heck of a lot. And we got some much needed rest and relaxation time. After we did finally get up and check messages, we went to the Pike Place Bagels shop for lunch. Next we decided to just wander around downtown. We went all through the famer’s market, to the original Starbucks, and to a few different local stores.

We ended up walking for quite a while, which killed a good part of the afternoon. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Barnes and Noble to pick up a coule magazines. Once back at the hotel, we did a little reading, and eventually watched Secret Window on HBO. You can totally tell that the movie was written by Stephen King – it was pretty intense! Probably would have been a good one to see on the big screen now that I think of it.

We stopped at Subway for dinner tonight because it was close, and it had gotten quite cold and actually rained a little. Since coming back to the hotel, I’ve just been sitting here reading and listening to music, basically. I don’t remember the last time I sat and watched TV or the last time I just sat and read stuff for a few hours, so it has been nice and comfortable.

Tomorrow we’re heading on a three-hour city tour, so that should be fun. Then in the evening, it’s off to the airport to head home. Check out some photos I took of our Seattle adventures, and from Gnomedex.

Read: My Photos

The News is NowPublic

Post ImageToday has been a pretty restful day, which I think is good to have once in a while. Tonight I did some reading, and as a result, I found NowPublic via Scoble:

It’s open source news, and even in its infancy it’s richer, faster, more powerful than the infotainment it replaces.

We invite you to join this revolution. Take control of the news. Make it deliver information about your community, your interests, your life. It’s time. The news is nowPublic.

One of the big topics of Gnomedex was that we’re taking back our media. Adam Curry very proudly proclaimed this in his closing keynote address. So while the idea of “open source news” isn’t completely new to me, this was the first time I had ever seen it really implemented. I gave NowPublic a shot tonight, and I must say, it’s kind of neat!

Take a look at the footage I posted about Gnomedex to see how it works. Once you’re a member of NowPublic, you can add news stories, footage, and blog posts. I can’t see how the blog is useful, as I suspect that almost everyone who contributes to the site will already have their own blog somewhere else. Other than that however, I think the site has pretty good potential.

I suppose I can already be considered a “reporter” simply by posting on my own blog, but there’s something uniquely intriguing about being part of a bigger, community run news site.

Read: NowPublic

Seattle Trip Day 4

Today was the end of Gnomedex 5. It was probably one of the best conferences I have ever been to, if not the best. There was quite the lineup of speakers today too, including Julie Leung, Steve Rubel, and of course, Adam Curry. I really enjoyed Adam’s session – not so much because I learned something, but because I got to be a part of something pretty historical in the world of podcasting. Our robot did very well at the conference, and I am really pleased with the way it turned out. Definitely a great idea, kudos Dickson, Andrew, and Ashish.

After the conference finished tonight, Dickson and I dropped the Podbot off back at the hotel and headed to the designated meetup point for people looking to do some post-conference stuff. We ended up going to dinner at a pretty nice Asian restaurant downtown with the guys from Bryght, Nick Bradbury of FeedDemon, the LiteFeeds guys, and a few others. It was really nice, and a great way to end the conference.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and met up with my friend Mike and his girlfriend Elisa for drinks. That was really nice, kind of relaxing and fun just to chat and to get caught up on the latest news. Good luck to you both at your new jobs next week 🙂

Not entirely sure what we’re up to tomorrow, but I think I’d kind of like to relax a little, and see some more of the city. I can’t believe the conference is over! Soon we’ll be back to working hardcore, but for now, I think we’ll enjoy the time away.