IS YOUR SYNDICATED PODCAST CONTENT LIBERATED?

How do you store and distribute your podcast material? The title of the blog post is a hat tip wink to LibSyn (Liberated Syndication). In my Annual Blog Report XII post, I said that I will put more effort into my podcasting and get back on track with a regular schedule.

The question that have been asking myself recently is:

- How do I secure my content, save it and promote it in an effective way?

At the moment, I have podcasts at:

• Audioboo
• SoundCloud
• BlogTalkRadio

I have had a nagging feeling that all the above mentioned services have had their share of challenges and I want to have a "safe haven" for my content in the future.

Now when I got my first patron (of the arts), Niklas Larsson, I decided to sign up for LibSyn's podcasting + smartphone app packages with 400 MB storage for $20 per month. I must say that the mobile app feature with a potential of revenue sharing, is a sweet deal! So, I ask you to stay tuned for my own Podcast Box app on iTunes and Amazon App Store. You could now listen to my podcast and support my work at the same time! :)

Here is an excerpt from Robert Walch's post, Podcast Consumption as easy as Angry Birds:

Today more podcasts are downloaded directly to Mobile devices than to computers.
This is a huge deal.  In March 2013 for all the downloads from all the 13,000+ shows hosted with Libsyn – we saw the following stats for where podcasts were directly downloaded to:   

Mobile = 51.37%
Computer = 48.58%
Set Top Box = 0.05% 

There are a lot of people that even today say consuming podcasts is too difficult. 

Really?

Based on What?

Today podcasting is as easy to consume as Angry birds is to play
You open your mobile device – you tap on the app and you consume. It really is that easy.

Maybe people are saying “THEIR” podcast is tough to consume. And that might be because they don’t have their own smartphone app.

Looking at the Libsyn stats for March over 7.5% of mobile downloads happened directly to Podcasters own stand alone smartphone apps – not the generic apps – but their own branded apps. And that percentage is growing every month.

If you don’t have your own smartphone app in the iTunes store, Amazon Store and Google play store – then maybe your podcast is not as easy to find and consume as your peers.

The other advantage of having a stand alone app in the apps stores is discoverability. People searching for a subject matter may stumble upon your show – while not looking specifically for a podcast – and decide to give your app a try. 

Libsyn blog, April 12, 2013.

You will be able to find my future podcasts at EgoNetCast.Libsyn.com.

What's your take on the future of podcasting and the different players on the market?

Podcaster selfie at Hej5 Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden.

TRANSLATE EGO BLOG

I have added Google's Translate gadget to the blog. You could now translate EGO blog into 60+ languages. Interlingua is not included yet...

[Editor's note: Roland Horvath: What's your take on the Hungarian translation?]

GOOGLE PLUS ONE FEATURES

I have added two Google+ gadgets to the blog. Scroll down to the About section and you will see a gadget saying: "I'm on g+ - Add to circles". You could recommend my blog on Google if you scroll down to the bottom of the page and look under PayPayl's Tip Jar button and then click on the "g +1" button.

Are you on Google+? At the moment, I am reading Chris Brogan's book, Google+ for Business: How Google's Social Network Changes Everything, and I will download Guy Kawasaki's e-book, What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us.

Google+ Lean Startup Business Model Books

THE FUTURE OF PODCASTING

During the "potluck"(un)conference WebCoast, I listened to a fascinating session with Viktor Richardson (bio. on Soundic Radio) on the future of web radio.

Vill gärna fortsätta diskussionen om framtidens radio. Leta upp mig på @WebCoast om du har funderingar och tankar.
— Viktor Richardson (@Envictr) March 17, 2012

It was an interesting discussion on how to come up with a new name for web radio 2.0, e.g., "telefoni" and how you should be able to create live web radio with people using their mobile phones, starting a conversation in real time that could facilitate an interactive conversation.

Viktor Richardson

Personally, I think that BlogTalkRadio has come a long way with features like a call-in number [for EGO podcast show: (347) 994-1906] for listeners, Facebook social plugin for comments, sharing function powered by AddThis, etc.

Downcast iPhone app

With Cinch.fm you could embed the audio file in your blog like this:



and the listener could comment on it by creating a cinch cast reply.

Talking about future podcasts, I will interview Chris Reimer today at 3 PM ET (New York time) / 9 PM European Standard Time and have a conversation with Anita Campbell on May 11 at 11 AM ET / 5 PM EST. Do you have a suggestion on a guest in April? I will do a follow up "note to self" podcast in the near future... ;)

EGO podcast - Downcast iPhone app.

I have some questions regarding radio and music on the web:

• What kind of podcasting gear do you use?
• How could you use SoundCloud? I have to ask Brent Leary for some tips.
• Have you tested Rdio? Do you think it will be a big competitor to Spotify and Pandora?
• Will we be able to subscribe to podcast RSS feeds via the above mentioned services, similar as we do on iTunes?
• How do you listen to podcasts? On your MP3 player, iPod, iPhone, computer, etc.? Thanks to Stefan Waborg for introducing me to the great podcast application called Downcast.

Downcast app

On March 17, I had a session with the title, "Podcast - Din radiokanal på nätet" ("Podcast - Your radio channel on the Internet"). As an instance of irony, I didn't manage to record my talk in a proper way. It must be surfing around in cyberspace somehow... ;) At least, here are some photos from WebCoast:

WebCoast - the grid

Ego - Martin Lindeskog

TECH TRENDS

What kind of technology trends do you think will be leading this year? I think that we will see more and more applications for people on the go, and the digital consumption will be catered and personalized to the user of the mobile device. The iPad and other computer tablets have changed the reading behavior and you could see how businesses are jumping on the board. Here is an excerpt from William Fenton's article, Bytes and Bites: Restaurants Put iPads to Work:

At Chicago Cut, an upscale steakhouse, customers use iPads to pair wines. A custom app allows patrons to peruse the restaurant's 750 wines, search by price, variety, and regions, and review detailed descriptions of wine taste. Especially inquisitive connoisseurs can even pin the winery on a Google Map. David Flom, the restaurant's managing partner, sees material gain from the virtual integration. (PCMag.com, January 4, 2011.)

Have you tested the social magazine application called Flipboard? From Robert Scoble's post, The New Version Of Flipboard Has Arrived, But It's Not The One I'm Waiting For:

But it’s not the version I’m waiting for.

What version is that? The one that will filter through all of these social networks and use the technology they purchased when they acquired the Ellerdale Project to really find the good stuff out of the thousands of items that are aimed at me every day. (Business Insider, December 17, 2010.)

ReadWrite Enterprise channel has looked at how "technology could disrupt the enterprise in 2011" by citing Constellation's Research Outlook for 2011. I want to take a quote from the mobile category:

• IT will support at least two or three mobile devices per person: smart phones, laptops and maybe tablets or other specific use devices.

• Organizations will get serious about mobilizing apps and embrace the platforms to support mobility.

• Android will become more enterprise friendly by fixing major manageability issues.(ReadWriteWeb.com, January 4, 2011.)

What do you think of Larry Genkin's prediction for "the biggest digital marketing trend of 2011"?

This changing of the technology distribution guard will also result in the largest media change of fortune since the advent of the cable industry in the 1970′s. Now individuals can launch their own TV/Radio Station or Magazine/Newspaper for literally a few thousand dollars. (ThoughtLeadershipMarketing.com, January 4, 2011.)

In an upcoming post, I will write about my EGO podcast show on Blog Talk Radio and tell you why I have decided to "go premium"...

Related articles

• Flipboard CEO Mike McCue (@mmccue) Has An Amazing Day (louisgray.com)
• Flipboard Acquires Ellerdale to Boost Content Relevancy in New Social Magazine (eon.businesswire.com)
• An iPad App and Something Else - Meet Flipboard, Again (macstories.net)
• It's in Hong Kong: The iPad Wine List (blogs.wsj.com)
• Will businesses find a place for iPads in 2011? (macworld.com)

READING IN DIFFERENT WAYS

I have received a new batch of reading material from Adlibris.

• The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau.

• 30 Days to Social Media Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Blogging, LinkedIN, and Facebook by Gail Martin.

• POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything by Sam Horn.

• Guerrilla Social Media Marketing: 100+ Weapons to Grow Your Online Influence, Attract Customers, and Drive Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson & Shane Gibson.

• Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: Non-Boring, Fluff-Free Strategies for Marketing and Promoting Your Business by David Siteman Garland.

• Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business by Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman.

• Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss.

• Bounce!: Failure, Resiliency, and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success by Barry Moltz.

• Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky.

• UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. by Scott Stratten.

I am thinking of signing up for an account on Audible.com. I still like to read real books, but it could be enjoyable to start to "read" some books in audio format in the future. Do you listen to books?

I recently listened to iPad Today podcast #26 (E-Readers Galore, Skype Video, Risk, ToonCamera, A Microfiber Miracle!) with Sarah Lane and Tom Merritt. Which kind of e-reader to you use on your iPad?

Related articles

• HOW TO: Read 26 Books A Year (davefleet.com)

HP EPRINT

I participated in the Live Tech Show on September 20 and I won an HP Officejet Pro 8500A printer!

NEW MOBILE COMMUNICATION ALTERNATIVES

I have been adding new applications on my iPhone. It is interesting to see how a specialized browser for the mobile market, like Opera, is getting downloaded a million times in 24 hours! For more on the mobile market, read Lisa Barone's post, 4 Questions To Ask Of Your Mobile Site.

Here are three examples of mobile applications that could change the way we communicate in the future.

You could now use Skype mobile on a Verizon wireless smartphone. Here is an excerpt from John C Abell's post, Verizon + Skype Not Mobile VoIP Nirvana, But Closer:

The integration of Skype mobile does give Verizon one huge advantage — you can now receive internet calls spontaneously on a standard handset — but it falls far short of an implementation that would unleash the full power of Skype on a mobile device.

And it isn’t really internet telephony at all: Skype calls are routed through Verizon’s network, you can’t receive calls placed to your online numbers, you can’t use Skype (and its cheaper calling plans) to place calls to other telephones. Skype on Verizon doesn’t even work under Wi-Fi, where Skype sort of lives.

Still, it’s a bold maneuver by Verizon that would seem to benefit the original internet telephony upstart even more. Exposing people to the idea that you can use the internet to make and receive free and dirt-cheap phone calls — that you don’t need expensive calling plans and contracts — could be madness. Or, it could be a brilliant way of managing an inevitable shift that eluded other industries to their peril. In a way, this is just a continuation of the trajectory that saw telcos tack hard to wireless when it was clear the landline business was cratering. (Wired, 03/31/10.)

A new-generation mobile service called Nimbuzz. With this application, you could make mobile calls, do instant messaging, and communicate on different social networkings. From Andi's post, Trends and predictions – Worldwide smartphone application market:

Just a week ago we talked about VoIP in 2013: trends and predictions and how mobile VoIP users will be reach 288 million by the end of 2013. Today we come back with another interesting story about mobile world: trends and prediction in worldwide smart phone application market. (Nimbuzz Blog, 03/18/10.)

A network of communication and collaboration tools called GreenWin (formerly Sqip Com). [Editor's note & full disclosure: This is a referral link. It's free to sign up for the service.] For a background, listen to Nick Hetcher's interview (March 2009) with Christian Fortune, CEO and co-founder of GreenWin (Sqip), and then check out the latest webinar (04/14/10) with Christian Fortune.

Have you found some new communication tools lately? Do you think that these new applications will change how we work and interact during our spare time?

Related: My post, EGO IS NOW MOBILE FRIENDLY.

SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS

I got an used BlackBerry Curve 8310 Smartphone some months ago, as a backup for my old Qtech 9100 (HTC) smartphone. I agree with Brian Tong that the BlackBerry phone is "über comfortable" to hold in your hand and I like the keyboard. But I must say that the learning curve is a bit steep for my taste, so I haven't really used it to its full potential. I will use it for my regular phone calls, SMS and as an alarm clock.

Fast forward sometime and here comes the iPhone 3G by Apple! I saw a special campaign at Telenor (link to Telenor Trainee Blog) in Gothenburg and went to the store and talked to a service minded salesperson. The phone contract is for two years and I get unlimited mobile surf for circa $28 per month. I think that I will use the iPhone more as a productivity and communication tool, than a regular mobile phone.

I wonder what will happen when the iPad is entering the market. Will it become the new entertainment gadget?

I have added the following applications ("apps") on my iPhone:

• Travel planner for public transportation (Västtrafik).

• Gowalla - "The easiest way to share places you go with your friends."

• Evernote - "Welcome to your notable world."

• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• Cinch. Listen to the embedded CinchCast in this post.

• PicPosterous - The Posterous iPhone app is out! PicPosterous takes away all the pain from sharing photo sets and video online.

• Yr.no - Online weather service from Norway.

• Wikiamo - "Wikiamo is an intuitive, Safari-like Wikipedia viewer for your iPhone and iPod Touch."

• Simplenote

• Todo Lite

• SimplyTweet Lite

• Echofon - Hat tip to Eva Wieselgren.

"How I use my smartphone" by Eva Wieselgren.

Martin Lindeskog is taking a picture with his iPhone 3G.

Related:  The Power of iPhone by Barney Austen.

FINE PIX OF MORRIS THE CAT

Morris the cat wants to inform you that the editor will publish the blog carnival post during this weekend.



[Editor's note: This photo is taken with my brand new FinePix Z30 by Fujifilm.]

UPDATE 12/20/09: The blog carnival post will be published on Wednesday, December 23.

ANOTHER UPDATE: 12/28/09.

Morris the Cat wants to distribute the following bulletin:

I'm sorry for the delayed blog post carnival. I am feeling a bit under the weather at the moment due to a cold. [Editor's comment: Maybe I should have a blackout shot?!] I will try to publish the post on Wednesday, December 30.

OK, back to my hiding place... ;)

BACK TO BASICS

I am glad to see that my post on Open Forum, Productivity Tools For Your Worklife, has been "retweeted" so many times. I want to highlight C. Scyphers, who gave a short & sweet summary of my post:

scyphers says: Tips for managing time: (OpenForum) Recap; Actual inbox, empty email, mindmap, small tasks, take notes, always improve (1st October 4:19, Tweetmeme / Twitter.)

Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends, wrote the following comment on my post:

Martin, good article! I have tried, but I find it impossible to a zero inbox -- or even close to zero, say 30 unread emails. Unfortunately, my unread emails number in the 3-figures or 4-figures. Of course, most of those are monitoring emails, such as Google Alerts, or newsletter subscriptions, or email notifications about comments on my various blogs. I've tried setting up special folders and automatically pushing certain emails to those folders so I can review them later. That helps. But even so, unread emails just accumulate in my inbox. Then eventually they get archived, and that helps keep the numbers down. Of course, my business is mainly Web-based and 99% of everything we do involves email. But I wonder if others have the same problem? -- Anita (Open Forum, idea hub - topic: innovation, October 2009.)

As I said in my post, I have struggled with maintaining an empty email inbox for a long time. At the moment, I have 8794 messages in the inbox... I have to archive them and start from scratch again. I am sure that the GTDInbox is a great application and solution to this problem. Please read, Why Email is Addictive (listen to the rats), for a possible explanation to the email "problem"...



Amanda Stillwagon, editor of Small Business CEO, has used an excerpt of my post in her post, Work Smarter With Productivity Tools. Please feel free to leave a comment here, at SMBCEO.com, or a vote at bizSugar.

I will go back to basics and use a low-tech solution:

• Stack of index cards with a clip, a.k.a a Hipster PDA. I am using pre-printed to-do cards by Stiernholm Consulting.
• Small pens. I am using a TEC pico pen and a Fisher space pen.
• Notebooks. I am using Moleskine notebooks.

For inspiration, I will participate in Stephen Smith's "work.life.creativity" forum and continue to read Todoodlist by Nick Cernis. [Editor's note: If you are interested to read Todoodlist and at the same time support my blogging, please click the "buy now" button. I wonder if I have to add a disclosure to this post? Read Duncan Riley's post, My FTC Disclosure, and have you done yours yet?]

Related articles by Zemanta

• Is the FTC being used to marginalize independent bloggers? (inquisitr.com)

EVOLUTION OF EGO WORKSPACE

Image by David Reber via Flickr

[Editor's note: I started to write a draft of this post on 08/02/09. It has taken a long time to "chew", process & clarify stuff. Due to the "organized chaos" I am going back and forth between the different steps of the workflow process. I am often trying to collect, process, organize, review and do things at the same time! I am feeling a bit more at ease now when I have finished reading David Allen's book, Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life. The book has given me new fuel and energy to kick-off this ongoing journey of getting things done. Let's roll & pluck the day! Please feel free to join the conversation on GTD, productivity best practices, worklife, etc.! At the moment, I am especially interested to receive tips on podcast shows on this topic.]

I have been thinking of writing a longer post on my development of my worklife for some time. One big part of improving my productivity is clear the workspace and to set up the right "buckets". I have a picture clear on how to create a good workflow process, but I get overwhelmed now and then about all my old stuff that I have to go through. I have spent several days of my "vacation" to clean up things and I am starting to see the "light in the tunnel"...

I read Stephen Smith's post, The Evolution of a GTD Workspace, and that triggered me to write a comment on GTD Times. Stephen Smith then wrote the following tweet message @hdbbstephen on July 17:



So, here it goes...



This is picture of Morris the cat stretching out on the computer desk. The photo is taken in the beginning of 2009 (February). I had plenty of piles on the desk and in the in-basket.

Here is a more recent photo Morris (July 15).



I started to set up the tickler file that I bought from Stiernholm Consulting.



Starting to assemble the tickler file...




Ready to file stuff!


Filing an invoice to be paid on a specific date.


Tickler file


How to Get Started with Getting Things Done by Robert Landon.

Time to check different sections of my workspace.


My bulletin board. The toy crusader is from my childhood. He has misplaced his lance and horse, but he will continue his fight... Do you know where I could get a Betsy Ross flag pin?


Picture of Morris the cat. 2009 overview calendar.


Bookshelf with books.


More books, course and reference material.


In-basket with file folders and to-do note cards by Stiernholm Consulting.

I start out the week on Monday morning by listening to David Stiernholm's podcast with "tips on how to create good structure and efficient work procedures for you and your organization." The weekly newsletter includes a PDF and an audio file (MP3).

I will start to take time at the end of the week with a review and a brainstorming session. I know that I have been procrastinating to get started due to all the old stuff that I have to get through before I could get ahead and continue forward. I have been looking for the new "ultimate" and cool gadget in order to motivate myself to dig into the piles of stuff. I have to go through a kind of mental "shock therapy," collecting all the old stuff and dump into the in-basket and then "force" myself to go through it, piece by piece. I have been spending some time this summer "setting up the right buckets" and going through "ancient archives" at the same time. I know that I will fall off the "wagon" now and then and it will probably take a year or two before I have integrated my personalized productivity habit so it becomes a natural part of my worklife.

Here is a list of things that I will be dealing with in the future:

Desks:

• Keep the computer desk in tidy fashion and give the in-basket a "VIP" position on it.

• Start cleaning off the mahogany desk, including the in-basket. Should I have reference material here in the study room?

• Go through the computer desktop on a regular basis. Keep files "fenced in". Look at the wallpaper and get inspired!

I recently purchased GoalEnforcer. I will use it as a combined project management / mindmapping / brainstorming tool. I will play around with this program during this autumn.

GTD template


Next action...


I will start to use and review GTDagenda sometime in the near future.



I have started to use GTDinbox, but I have to get back to scratch regarding the inbox again. I had >22,500 email messages at one time. I had to do dump them into an archive. I now have >6000 email messages in the inbox. I should visualize the stack of 6000 papers and get going... ;)



I will come to grip of the situation and acquire an insight of my workstyle. According to ACCO Brands Corporation's workstyle finder, I am classified as follows:

Expressive Work Style

You are a free spirit with a plan. You know what works for you, and you build your work life around your individual needs. You know where you're going, and you have a good idea of how to get there, but you're flexible -- you're not afraid to take a few side trips along the way. When a project is important to you, you are very organized and efficient and manage your time well. You recognize the equal importance of appearance and content, and you strive to balance the two in everything you do. You pick and choose what you are going to pay attention to, depending on what priority is at the top of your list on any given day. (ACCO.com, "workstyle finder survey results.")

I want to end this post with a photo of my new favorite productivity tool... Pico Pen!


[Editor's note to Christer Sjöback: Thank you very much giving me another pen!]