Podface - iPod Music Tip Sheet

Music - The Spaceshots Distribute 100,000 mp3s.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 07:58:00 -0700

The Spaceshots: "Siren Sounds (Full CD)"
Since March, The Boston band The Spaceshots debut album Siren Sounds has been available for free on cherrydisc.com.. It took less than four months for over 100,000 MP3s to be distributed, no small feat. A month ago when I first wrote about the Shots, that number was at just over 50,000. The word on the street (or internet) about this young band is spreading faster than shit through a goose, so get on board. Big crunchy guitars, huge choruses, and airbus sized hooks frame smart lyrics that are sometimes politically charged, sometimes expressively personal. Personally, I have to say that this is one of the best albums I've heard this year, free or otherwise.

Listeners says The Spaceshots fit nicely into their collections next to Weezer, Foo Fighters, or even Green Day. You be the judge. All they ask ..... if you like what you hear, burn copies for your friends and help spread the word. When have you ever heard a record company say that??? If you feel the least bit guilty getting something for free, join the mailing list.

All the songs are available via single MP3s or a full-album download that includes artwork.

Download the full Album - The Spaceshots – Siren Sounds
My Personal Favorites:
Download Mp3 – The Spaceshots – Blues Driven
Download Mp3 – The Spaceshots – Promise The World
Download Mp3 – The Spaceshots – Angelesque

- podface

Wireless Ipod and what's in store.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 17:07:00 -0700

Everyone is scratching his or her heads over the Ipod Photo. I mean seriously, I guess it’s cool… but I call bullshit. I have a theory that it wasn’t about photos at all. It was all about perfecting the color monitor for the iPod and managing larger files through a more powerful system. The Ipod wireless is coming soon, ready or not. Wifi wireless broadband is here and it wont be long till WiMax is launched to the masses. If you haven’t heard about Wimax, it a new super fast wireless technology that has a range of a few miles for each broadcast station. Think of it in real terms. Your Ipod becomes wireless and has a sweet, full color LCD screen. Wireless Ichat AV on your Ipod anyone??? Take a moment and think about all the services that could be provided on a wireless device that has video, audio, and web browsing capabilities. This is not a pipe dream folks. The world as we know it is about to change. Personally, I can’t wait to tell my Cell Phone provider to F#?K Off. WiMax may not be widely available this year but if a Wireless Ipod is, you will find me using it at my local coffee shop that offers free WIFI. Thanks Port City Java.

ABOUT WiMAX Technology

WiMAX is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL. WiMAX will provide fixed , nomadic, portable and, eventually, mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight with a base station. In a typical cell radius deployment of three to ten kilometers, WiMAX Forum Certified™ systems can be expected to deliver capacity of up to 40 Mbps per channel, for fixed and portable access applications. This is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses with T-1 speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed connectivity. Mobile network deployments are expected to provide up to 15 Mbps of capacity within a typical cell radius deployment of up to three kilometers. It is expected that WiMAX technology will be incorporated in notebook computers and PDAs in 2006, allowing for urban areas and cities to become “MetroZones” for portable outdoor broadband wireless access.

Music – Anyone Thirsty?

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Fri, 9 Sep 2005 08:17:00 -0700

Blue Men Breakout

Having performed together at Blue Man and honed their musical rapport for five years, Billy O'Malley (guitar/vocals), Graham McLachlan (bass) and Corky Gainsford (drums) were compelled to work together outside of BMG and record Thirsty's debut A Taste Is Not Enough.

As principal songwriter for Thirsty, Billy wears his influences well. His music distills the power of a thousand metal riffs into songs that evoke raw energy (ex: Sex Pistols and The Melvins) combined with simple melodies and lush harmonies (ex: Weezer and Dagnasty). Comparisons to Kurt Cobain are not uncommon. Billy's former bands include Seka (Taang!), Stripmind (Sire/Reprise/Warner Bros....featuring Sully Erna of Godsmack on drums), Jocobono (Cherrydisc/MCA . featuring Todd Perlmutter, drummer and Grammy nominated producer for Blue Man Group and Michael Welch, bass player for Weezer). He also sang backing vocals on the Mighty Mighty Bosstones highly acclaimed release Pay Attention (Mercury).

I highly recommend this band.

Download Bambi MP3 Here
Download Ground MP3 Here

www.thirstyband.com

Apple To Use Intel Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 5 Sep 2005 07:24:00 -0700

Apple Computer Inc. plans to announce on Monday that it will switch to using Intel Corp's microprocessors and phase out its current chip supplier, International Business Machines Corp, CNET News.com reported late on Friday.

The technology news Web site said that Apple plans to move lower-end computers like the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in the middle of 2007.

If true, the move by Apple to Intel's Pentium chips from IBM's PowerPC chips would cap more than a decade of speculation. Both Intel and Apple have had talks over the years, though Apple has always opted to stay with IBM, analysts said.

The move would be highly complicated, expensive and could cost Apple some of its less than 2 percent share of the global PC market, said Kevin Krewell, editor in chief of the Microprocessor Report, a chip industry publication.

However, in the long run, this move will enable Apple to gain a substantial chunk of Microsoft’s PC market. Personally having made the switch to Apple from Microsoft three years ago, I have not had one Adware, Spyware, or virus land on my computer. This is without any additional protective software on my computer. In my opinion, many consumers are fed up with Microsoft’s inability to protect their operating system from annoying, and sometimes-dangerous intruders. For many, the most unappealing reason for making the switch to OSX is Apple’s higher price. This switch to Intel may give Apple the ability to compete with affordable, superior products.

I predict a wireless, video iPod for $100, and a powerful, complete imac for $500 within two years. Any takers?

Music – Paula Kelley

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:59:00 -0700

Pure pop auteur Paula Kelley began her career riding a wave of college-press hype and European touring during her stint as a supporting player in early '90s American shoegazers the Drop Nineteens. She left them before their demise in 1994 to pursue a vehicle for her own songwriting. The brief one-shot indie rock result was Hot Rod, also featuring John Dragonetti (of Jack Drag fame) on guitar. Boy Wonder came next, formed in 1996 and well-known in Boston for their glorious bubblegummy pop. By the end of the decade Paula was ready to indulge her pop muse fully in the less confining role of solo songwriter. Nothing/Everything arrived in 2001 and successfully demonstrated her drift into the more pristine waters of pop music while leaving the volume and vigor of alternative rock behind. With her latest, The Trouble with Success or How you Fit into the World on Kimchee, Paula Kelley's music achieves infectious and elegant heights only hinted at before.

Download A New Time

- podface
Download My Finest Hour
Download The Girlfriend
Paulakelley.com

Great Podcast. Remember this dude?

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:48:00 -0700

While Howard Stern patiently waits for his contract to run out and make the move to Sirius satellite radio, so he wont be subject to the FCC’s decency rules, many new radio shows are popping up all over the internet via podcast. Adam Curry, the former MTV face is credited with a creating podcasting. His show is easy to download and isn't subject to FCC rules. Great Podsafe Sounds, and info you can use. Check it out. Just click here.

Chips or Fries?

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 08:44:00 -0700

Screw CNN. When the top story is a bride-to-be that was hiding at the Michael Jackson trial while on a feeding tube, I GIVE UP! One thing the English have over us is real news, not to mention the original version of “The Office” citcom. The BBC has just launched podcasts of most of their major programs. You need to get a podcast client to listen. If you haven’t already, take the far-reaching step of adding one more program to your computer. I have included links to the top FREE podcast software clients on the right side of this page. Being a Mac user I like IpodderX the best. Fire one of these bad boys up and search for BBC. Download and listen till the pubs close.

One Million Podcast Subcriptions for Apple's new iTunes

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 6 Jul 2005 07:55:00 -0700

Apple Computer Tuesday released the latest version of its iTunes digital music management software, which would make it easier for users to listen to Podcast offerings.

Apple announced that its iTunes 4.9 version, a free service to its iPod music player, would allow users to subscribe to more than 3,000 free Podcasts and have each new episode automatically delivered to their computers and iPods through the internet. Podcasts are downloadable audio files, often similar to radio programmes. Apple also announced that it would launch high-capacity iPods with color screens to support the viewing of photographs on iPod screens. Apple's new U2 special edition iPod comes with the phrase "20GB PC+Mac" instead of the phrase "20GB Mac+PC" in the earlier versions. Suranga Chandratillake, Apple's Chief Technology Officer, said Tuesday that the company's indexing software has identified approximately 20,000 user-generated audio and video channels, which makes about 500 hours of programming a day. Apples' directory includes programming contents from ABC, Disney, ESPN and Newsweek, making it one of the largest directories in the world. Apple received more than one million Podcast subscriptions within the first two days of the service being launched through iTunes. According to several analysts, the overwhelming success of Apple's iPod would exert substantial pressure on the performance of Microsoft's Media Player, which does not possess Podcast support. According to New York Times, Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, said that Apple's Podcast phenomenon would reinvigorate interest among consumers for iPods.

Podcasting Users to Approach 60 Million US Consumers by 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 6 Jul 2005 07:47:00 -0700

According to new forecasts from The Diffusion Group, a leading consumer technology research consultancy, demand for time-shifted digital audio files or "podcasts" is expected to grow from less than 15% of portable digital music player owners in 2004 to 75% by 2010. TDG's new report, Podcasting: Fact, Fiction and Opportunity, suggests that between 2004 and 2010, the use of podcasting among US consumers will enjoy a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
101%.

The podcasting report was written by Marc Freedman, contributing analyst with The Diffusion Group and CEO of RazorPop. “In many ways podcasting is a fad,” said Freedman. “Major media producers from satellite to radio to magazines are announcing new podcast programs daily just to appear hip and appeal to young people. But don’t be deceived by the hype.
The fundamental growth, driven by the boom in portable digital music players, is similarly huge and very real.”

Freedman's claims have indeed been validated by a host of recent commercial podcasting activity. ABC and NBC (along with MSNBC and CNBC) are using podcasting to offer recorded newscasts via online downloads. National Public Radio, Infinity Broadcasting, and even Clear Channel Radio have teed up a number of popular radio programs for podcasting. Even Business Week created a special audio blog to accompany its recent analysis of the podcasting phenomenon.

Be Honest, Get real.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 4 Jul 2005 12:53:00 -0700

Friends, I respect your values. My argument is neither a democrat or republican. To me it's about the situation we as Americans are in now, and how dangerous this particular administration is to the American economy. It has become clear now, from the facts, not opinions, that this Iraq war was completely unjustified. My nephew Justin is now serving in Iraq. If he dies there, it will not be for any other reason but their pursuit to control the middle east, and not to help the Iraqi people. History will no doubt prove that this was a strategic war. A small part of it may have been the right move in the long run. But I also believe that we have the most irresponsible administration in history, because if they were truly concerned about America's future, they would be using the most powerful and rich economy in the world to develop the technology to become less oil dependent. Look at this number - $300.000,000,000. This is roughly how much has been spent on our war, yet oil has reached all time highs of $60 a barrel. Japan, Germany and Canada are all intensively developing fuel cell technology in their respective countries. Many of the manufacturers located in these countries enjoy governmental support that far surpasses what the United States Government is providing at home. These countries realize that fuel cells and hydrogen are the most likely replacement for our current energy system and with this in mind, they are trying to develop future industries today. Why not us?

This week, experts have now predicted that oil will reach $100 a barrel this year. If this happens, America will be thrown into a full on economic crisis. The oil crisis of the 70's will be pale in comparison. Inflation will be explosive because everything we buy is transported via oil. Their greed and irresponsibility may actually cripple America for years.

If you still have a "W" sticker on your car, think it through. No one can tell you that you made the wrong decision in November. Republicans and Democrats were lied to equally. As Americans we deserve a government that looks out for us and our future. With our President's job approval in the low 40s, the lowest in this century for any president eight months after being elected , the jury has reached it's verdict. Mark my words, President George W. Bush will be impeached if he doesn't start listening. He will go down in history as one of the most dangerous leaders elected in America if he "stays the course". He, and his administration was given the economy of 280 million people. Their miscalculations, arrogance, and lies are steering our already 4 year-long failing economy into possibly the most devastating economic period in American history.

Speak out people. This is our birthday. We enjoy the most prosperous economy in the world. Our leaders need to here us. Again, this isn't a democrat/republican argument. It's an American one.

Happy birthday.... and many more.

Podface iTunes Rock 5 (well 3) V.1.2

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:15:00 -0700

A little known band from Chapel Hill makes some great noises. The Comas are one of the bands at the top of the list recently. Rolling Stone Magazine recognizes The Comas as new faces to watch. I say watch closely. iTunes only delivers a snippet, so trust me and drop the buck. Included this week are two more tunes that I hope will rock your world. You must have iTunes to view this weekly recommendation in rock. Click here to go to Podface iTunes Rock 5 V.1.0. www.thecomas.com

- podface

Um...Gulp. Apple and Intel. The World is changing faster than you think.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:02:00 -0700

Apple has now confirmed that the company will switch to Intel microprocessors and release a full line of computers beginning next year. MacFormat magazine's Graham Barlow said reaction from Mac users had been mixed, from "Hell has frozen over" to "Apple's transition has come full circle".

As I read message boards on the subject yesterday, I thought the posters were getting their information from Fox news. An absolute frenzy of disinformation was being spread throughout the Internet about what this switch to Intel means for Apple Computer. The most alarming was that all Macs sold now would soon become obsolete. That your programs wouldn’t work on the new Macs. Thankfully, these posts are as truthful as our President.

"Of course, people's fears are that their Macs will become obsolete when the new range of Intel-based Macs come out in 2006," Barlow said.

Apple previewed a version of Mac OS X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac, to more than 3,800 developers on Monday. Software will be available for both processors through Apple's Xcode development platform that can compile code for both processors.
Install CDs will contain something called a unified binary which will install the appropriate version depending on the type of processor in the Mac. Existing PowerPC software will run on the new machines thanks to a special ultra-light emulator called Rosetta. Nuff said.

Mr Barlow added that it would open a plethora of opportunities for Apple in the computing market.

"Apple may have lost the war for the office environment to Windows, but it wants to win the next war - the battle for control of your digital entertainment," Barlow said.

With the iPod and iTunes Music Store it already owns most of the digital audio market, but it's going to need new devices and new technology to get control of the emerging downloadable movie market too.

"These are the kind of possibilities that the Intel chips provide with their low power consumption and built-in digital rights management."

Let me repeat that. Apple needs Intel to get control of the emerging downloadable movie market, and Intel has built-in digital rights management in their chips. This is precisely what Apple needs to pave the way for the quicker adoption of Wimax (see post below) - ultra fast wireless net connectivity that Intel is touting.

The iPod wireless is around the corner. This move is unprecedented. The technology exists and Apple will be the company to initiate the exploitation of Wimax. In case you don’t know, Wimax is the new technology where one base station atop a billboard will provide everyone in a 5-mile radius ultra-fast wireless connectivity.

Your iPod will be a videophone at the very least. You will be able to scan a barcode in a newspaper and immediately download a movie preview, or a song from an album. You will have the ability to connect to your home network. You will be able to instantly send video of yourself at a concert, taken from your iPod to 20 friends. You will be able to connect to your security system at home to see if your dog secretly watching porn and drinking your beer.

Now do you believe?

-podface

The Comas Rule!

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 11:18:00 -0700

No, really, The Comas do rule...

Ok, there is a lot of free music out there and most of it is worse than my friends’ high school band. This Chapel Hill crew is one of the great ones that make digging through the digital travesties all worthwhile. I’m going to out on a limb here and say they are destined for greatness. Even my indie music snob girlfriend fell in love with their music. Their website is full of unreleased tunes, video, and live recordings. Below are links to a few songs for download. If you dig the music as much as I do, then by the CD. It comes with a bonus DVD that is the all songs (and bonus track) set to a really cool music video/movie well worth watching. And BUY the way, use the link to the right to purchase the CD if you please. The commish pays for this blog. www.thecomas.com

Silence Of Your Mind – Download
Invisible Drugs – Download
Last Transmission - Download

Please click and support.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 08:40:00 -0700

Please take a few seconds to click and support. By visiting sites linked from here you help pay for this blog. Thanks.

- podface

Video - Shawn Barrett + Loverboy = Pure Comic Genius

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Thu, 9 Jun 2005 10:57:00 -0700

Anyone can be a self-taught video editor thanks to Final Cut Pro or iMovie, and a DV Camera. Not many should embark on the path as results usually vary. Enter the genius of Shawn Barrett and his Barrester's Box blog. I can really appreciate this guy’s comedy. This really shows what the average guy can accomplish with a great sense of humor and today’s digital technology.

Take the Loverboy classic in cheese pop, "Working for the Weekend", and Shawn’s free time with a DV camera. The result - a video that VH1 should be playing daily.

According to Shawn – “I always wanted to be in a music video, so I thought I would make my own. Enjoy...”

I can’t stop grinning…

View the Video

- podface

ITunes to integrate podcasting for iPod. Still don't believe?

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 30 May 2005 06:48:00 -0700

ITunes to integrate podcasting. Still don't believe?

Apple iTunes to include a Podcast search tool.

Apple is currently racing to update its iTunes software so it will support podcasts, said Steve Jobs, chairman and chief executive, this weekend. Within a few months, Jobs remarked at the "D3: All Things Digital" technology conference in San Diego, Apple will launch iTunes version 4.9, allowing users to find, download, and subscribe to the uploaded audio feeds with one click.

Apple will add a defined podcast section to its iTunes Music Store that highlights popular and stand-out podcasts just as the service currently does for music, music videos, and audio book.

Jobs estimated on Sunday that there were some 8,000 podcasts available on the Web, and that Apple plans to create a way for podcasters to submit their work for inclusion on the iTunes Music Store.

- podface
The new version of iTunes will work with industry-standard protocols, Jobs said, meaning that users will be able to add any podcast available on the Web.

How sweet it is.

Protecting your Ipod and yourself.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 30 May 2005 06:35:00 -0700

If you live in the city, consider this. Those white headphones you are proudly sporting are an advertisement to potential thieves for an easy $200. It’s not paranoid. It’s reality. Remember, your Ipod only sounds as good as the headphones. You dropped at least $200 on this beast, spent the $50 to keep it sounding great, plus help keep you and your Ipod safe. Click here to see a great sets from Amazon.

What I learned on my Summer Vacation.

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Fri, 20 May 2005 10:40:00 -0700

For one thing, this guy’s liver doesn’t filter the Heineken like it used to. Every year, three childhood friends and myself embark of a journey of immaturity, political debates (I’m to blame… and no one really listens), and lowbrow comedy. Occasionally I retain some useful knowledge. One of these fine men is an executive at one of the world leaders in chip technology. As I rambled on and on about the future of all things wireless, I stopped blathering sporadically to listen for his input. It seems this unnamed enormo-corp will be bitch slapping the world by releasing a chip for digital camera technology in 2006. One that matches today’s visual quality except… it will be dirt-cheap. What does this mean? Well, I can speculate. After all, this is my blog. Affordable video capture combined with Wimax = one step closer to portable videophones. Remember folks, it’s not a question of how, it’s when. Technology deployment always trails behind its creation.

Geek Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Thu, 12 May 2005 08:44:00 -0700

You can now explore the Universe just about anywhere. It's easy: tune in to the Science@NASA podcast. Science@NASA has been providing audio recordings of science news stories for years. Last December, the site began podcasting those stories. By February, Science@NASA was the #1 most popular podcast among users of the Podcasting News website. If you don’t yet have a podcast program installed on your computer (links on the right side of this page), click here to go to get the podcast. Youcan also download the MP3 directly by clicking here.

Yahoo Music Unlimited Threatens iTunes, Napster and Real. Um...Big deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 11 May 2005 10:07:00 -0700

Yahoo believes it just dealt Apple, Real Networks, and Napster a serious blow with the launch of Yahoo Music Unlimited, a paid music download service which undercuts Yahoo’s rivals with a $6.99 a month charge or $.79 per track download and also offers the option of paying just $60 a year for unlimited access to over 1,000,000 songs from all four major record labels and many independents. Songs can be transferred to portable players, but not easily to the Ipod. Serious blow? Me thinks not. However, let the price war begin for Yahoo, Real Networks, and Napster. Being a fan of iTunes I am curious to see what happens next. Will iTunes lower their prices? I doubt it. Apple's US iPod player market was at 90% and iTunes marketshare above 70% in April.

If you're an iPod user with a Windows-based PC, you can transfer music you already own to an Apple iPod using the Yahoo! Music Engine. Unfortunately, iPods are not currently compatible with the Yahoo! Music Unlimited subscription service. This does raise concerns for Yahoo, as the Apple Ipod is by far the most widespread music player. For more information click here.

Yahoo’s current music services, including Launchcast, attract 25 million users a month, however Apple has sold over 300 million songs. Time will tell, but my vote says Apple will keep their #1 standing.

Podface iTunes Rock 5 V.1.0

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Mon, 9 May 2005 07:25:00 -0700

As I intently watched The Shield this week, my speakers exploded with one of my favorite new songs. "...And you Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead" isn't what Bush's speaks of when asked about his administration (although it should be). It's the name of an amazing band that's begun breaking through to the masses. They lead off the first Podface iTunes Rock 5 with "Would you smile again for me". The sample on iTunes only delivers a snippet of this six-minute epic. Spend the buck and get this song. Included this week are four more tunes that I hope will rock your world. You must have iTunes to view this weekly recommendation in rock. Click here to go to Podface iTunes Rock 5 V.1.0.

What's going on here?

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Fri, 6 May 2005 08:35:00 -0700

The Apple Ipod has spawned explosive new world with over 20 million shipped. The name Ipod itself has spawned the goto word “POD” for portable media players and future entertainment. With the launch of WiMax wireless broadband (one station broadcasts wireless for a three mile radius) and the rumored “Ipod wireless” and Ipod video” soon to hit the market, the world is about to change. This is just one place to get your “pod” on.

Air America with Al Franken

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Thu, 5 May 2005 08:57:00 -0700

If you haven't heard yet, there is a new voice, well an old voice wise cracking all the way to the White House lawn. Al Franken’s politics may not be what everyone agrees with, but its damn good comedy. Click here to go to the Air America radio website. You can listen online till the FCC takes over the Internet.

Dig This!

noreply@blogger.com (Podface) — Wed, 4 May 2005 18:06:00 -0700

This isn’t pod related but certainly worth giving high marks. Dig up your old-school version of podcasting, known as reading. The Weekly Dig is a progressive, alternative weekly arts paper out of Boston. These guys have great words on music, film, and politics. If you are a video game fanatic, check out their soon to be syndicated section "geeked". www.weeklydig.com