(Aside: I predict that within five years, every single CBC Television program will be based around Dragons’ Den personalities.)

Anyway, I didn’t know about The Big Decision, but after following some tweet or another, I found myself on the show’s website, and decided to check it out. Here’s what happened when I hit the play button:

In case you missed it, the video thumbnail was replaced by a completely blank rectangle, while a robotic voice soaked in reverb said, “This content is currently unavailable.”

I suspect this is because I’m in France, and the content has been geoblocked. My suspicions were confirmed after I used Sidestep to connect to a Canadian proxy server and was able to view the video without any problems.

Now, my issue isn’t with the geoblocking itself. I completely understand the business reasons why certain types of online content are restricted in this way.

My problem is how The Big Decision‘s geoblocking is implemented.

If I’m being geoblocked, at least have the decency to tell me I’m being geoblocked. Do this:

I’m no UI genius, but it’s not hard to recognize that a completely blank screen and reverb-y robot voice that says, “This content is currently unavailable,” is less than ideal feedback. There’s just not enough information to be useful.

Why, dear robot voice, is the content unavailable? Do I not have the right plug-in installed? Are there gremlins in the CBC’s online video system? Or am I outside of the geofence?

If I’m being geoblocked, tell me. At least then I’ll know when to fire up Sidestep.

Today, Flipboard added audio playback controls and a new Audio category to its app:

The section is searchable but comes with recommended SoundCloud users, as well as popular shows from NPR (National Public Radio) and PRI (Public Radio International).

I’ve played with the new Flipboard for a while, and it’s yet another example of why  segmentation matters, and how for public radio, the atomic element is the story.

Radio networks and shows that split their programming up into sharable, spreadable component parts are reaping the rewards of new platforms. And it’s not just Flipboard.

• Audiofiles is a web-based sharing and discovery platform for radio, sorting stories based on mood, type, length, producer, and source.
• NPR’s Infinite Player is like Pandora for public radio, playing a customized stream of stories that listeners can fine-tune as they listen.
• The Super Times is a forthcoming iPhone app that assembles a personalized audio magazine of “the best audio stories from around the web.”

All of these platforms rely on content being broken up into its component parts. Segmentation is a prerequisite.

As of late 2011, Flipboard had 5 million users. That’s the opportunity here — to reach millions of potential new listeners, inside an app they already know and use.

So then, for radio programmers: even if you have the best content in the entire world, if you don’t split it up into easily sharable pieces, you’ll miss out on a whole new wave of new consumption technologies. I’m looking at you, CBC Radio.

Get out your scissors. Quickly.

In it, Jad uses many examples from Radiolab (and borrows heavily from Walter Murch) to create a model that explains the relationship between words, music, various types of sound effects, and their relative levels of abstraction. Needless to say, if you’re interested in radio (or sound at all, for that matter), find an hour, and watch this in its entirety:

As I watched, I couldn’t help but notice a common thread between Jad’s model of sound, and Scott McCloud’s Big Triangle,  which aims to “put all of comics’ visual vocabulary (pictures, words, specialized symbols, etc.) into some kind of easily understood map of possibilities.”

It’d been a while since I’d last read Understanding Comics, and in digging around for an image of the Big Triangle, I came across Scott McCloud’s terrific TED talk, in which he explains his entire model:

The whole thing is good, but if you’re looking for to compare and contrast Jad’s sonic model with Scott’s visual one, skip ahead to 7:47.

Boxfish captures all closed-captioning information, indexes it, then makes that data searchable in a Twitter-style interface. All in real-time.

If this technique sounds familiar, perhaps it’s because Google did something very similar way back in 2005:

The service, Google Video beta, searches closed caption information that comes with programmes. It only searches US channel content currently.

Results list programmes with still images and text from the point where the search phrase was spoken.

I have time now like I’ve never had it before. Time to go for a stroll, time to sit in a cafe for hours on end practicing French…

Most notably though, I now have time to make coffee in a very fussy way.

Back in January, based on a recommendation from the fine folks at Cafe Mokxa, Jenna and I bought an Aeropress. That was fussy enough on its own. But then, last week, Jenna brought home a hand-crank coffee grinder. Now it’s just ridiculous.

This morning, simply to document my current coffee setup, I shot and edited a quick video:

It’s a simple thing. A small pleasure.

I consider myself very lucky to be able to indulge in it.

From Bruce Dowbiggin’s take on the recent cuts:

CBC’s core business, its relevance to the public, would probably be in the following order: 1. News and current affairs; 2. Radio; 3. Sports; 4. Light entertainment. The problem with the current CBC is that its executive structure has the order reversed.

Though I’d quibble with Bruce’s list — there are news and current affairs programs on radio, for instance — this rings true to me.

offers access to 40 web radio stations, a vast array of music and blog posts by CBC personalities through a website and via mobile apps.

Rather than listen to these stations via a website or mobile app, I’d prefer to listen via VLC. However, there doesn’t seem to be a list of publicly-available stream URLs.

So I made one.

You’re welcome.

Special (e.g. Complete Cohen, Complete Blue Rodeo)

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_SPCIAL_H.pls

Radio 3

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_R3_WEB.pls

Classical

Radio 2 Classical

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_R2CLAS_H.pls

Essential Classics

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ECLASS_H.pls

Operatic

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_OPERAT_H.pls

Baroque

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_BAROQU_H.pls

Modern Masters

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_MODMAS_H.pls

Orchestral

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ORCHES_H.pls

Piano

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_PIANO1_H.pls

Chamber (nee Glenn Gould Sampler)

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_GGSAMP_H.pls

CBC Records

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_CBCREC_H.pls

Canadian Composers

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_CANCOM_H.pls

Jazz

Radio 2 Jazz

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_R2JAZZ_H.pls

Jazz Masters

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_JAZMAS_H.pls

Jazz Songbook

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_JAZSON_H.pls

Jazz Canada

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_JAZCDN_H.pls

Smooth Jazz

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_JAZSMO_H.pls

Singer-Songwriter

Canadian Songwriters

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_CANSON_H.pls

Singer-Songwriter

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_SINSON_H.pls

World

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_WORLDM_H.pls

Rock

Indie

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_INDIE1_H.pls

Rock (with hosts)

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ROCK01_H.pls

Rock Classics

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ROCKCL_H.pls

Hard Rock

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_HAROCK_H.pls

Pop

Pop 40

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_POP040_H.pls

Adult Pop

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ADLTPO_H.pls

Jukebox Favourites

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_JUKEBO_H.pls

The 70s

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_70S001_H.pls

The 80s

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_80S001_H.pls

The 90s

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_90S001_H.pls

Adult Alternative

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ADLTAL_H.pls

Blues

Blues

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_BLUES1_H.pls

Blues Classics

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_BLCLAS_H.pls

R&B/Soul

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_RBSOUL_H.pls

Hip Hop

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_HIPHOP_H.pls

Aboriginal

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ABORIG_H.pls

Country

Country

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_CONTRY_H.pls

Alternative Country

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ALTCRY_H.pls

Country Classics

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_CLSCRY_H.pls

Electronic

Electronic

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_ELECTR_H.pls

Ambient Lounge

http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_AMBIEN_H.pls

This time, it’s a story about Timbuk2. They make bags.

About five years ago, I bought a black/black/black Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag from Europe Bound in Toronto. I love it. It’s perfect. It holds all my stuff, and is great for daily commuting or a weekend trip. It’s travelled with me almost everywhere I’ve been for the past half decade.

But last summer, I noticed that my bag’s original velcro flap fasteners just weren’t as, well, velcro-y as they used to be:

Not surprising for something that gets ripped apart several times daily. Still, a bit of a nuisance. So I emailed customerservice@timbuk2.com, and asked: “Can you suggest the best way to repair this?” The reply arrived later the same day:

If you don’t mind us sewing through the flap, we should be able to replace it for you.  You can fill out a warranty claim here:  http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/warrantyreturn.htm

A kind offer, but I wasn’t keen on them sewing right through the bag to fix it. So I asked, “Is there any way to replace the velcro w/o sewing through the flap?” Again, a very speedy reply:

Looks like we can try to repair it, or worst case scenario, just replace the bag. Go ahead and follow the instructions here, and we’ll get you all squared away! http://www.timbuk2.com/wordpress_cms/customer-service/the-timbuk2-quality-guarantee/

So I filled out their warranty form, got an RMA number, and then, promptly did nothing for a year. Yes, that’s right. I got busy, or lazy, or perhaps just plain forgot, but I never sent my bag for them to diagnose and/or try to fix. I just kept on using the bag with the non-velcro-y velcro. It wasn’t ideal, of course, but it got my stuff from point A to point B.

12 months passed, and then, a few weeks ago, for whatever reason, I decided to email Timbuk2 again. “I know it’s been a year,” I wrote, “But does your offer still stand?” Their reply:

You can go ahead and still send the bag in. Just make sure to write that RMA number on the outside of the package and we will either issue you a store credit or fix the bag.

Keep in mind this is more than a year after I filled out the original warranty claim, and five years since I bought the bag. And I didn’t even buy it from them! I bought it from a third-party retailer. So I headed to Canada Post to mail my messenger bag off to San Francisco.

Well, as it turns out, shipping a messenger bag (even an empty one) can be pretty darned expensive. So, I emailed Timbuk2 one more time to let them know that I appreciated their offer, but that the cost to ship my bag to them was prohibitive.

A few days later, their reply (from Heather):

We apologize for the long wait.   I sent over another email with a credit code in it to use on our website. You can use this to purchase a new bag. We just ask that you donate your current bag to someone in need.

Boy oh boy, that’s above and beyond. And that last line — that’s classy.

Want to guess who I’ll buy my next bag from?

They suck in (at least) three ways:

1. Banks charge a fee for every transfer (my bank, TD, charges $30-80 per transfer)
2. Banks’ international exchange rates are terrible
3. Sometimes, your money needs to pass through an intermediary bank, which may charge additional fees

Ugh.

So then, when when Jenna and I decided to move to France, I started looking around for alternatives to bank wire transfers. After looking at several options, we decided to try out CanadianForex, an online forex service that advertises better exchange rates and lower fees than the banks. I was skeptical.

So then, for the benefit of anyone considering CanadianForex, here’s a quick outline of how it all went:

Setup

I set up our CanadianForex account while we were still in Toronto. The process was pretty simple. It involved filling out an online form, taking a telephone call from a friendly CanadianForex rep to confirm a few details, then sending in proof of our Canadian bank account (a scanned bank statement).

After we arrived in Lyon and opened our French bank account (which is an entirely different story), I decided to try to actually move some money. I set up our French bank account as a beneficiary, then placed an order online.

Exchange Rate

I ordered Euros on January 11, 2012. That day, if I’d bought Euros through my bank, one Canadian dollar would have bought me 0.74867 €. At CanadianForex, the rate was 1 CAD = 0.7627 €

Bottom line: Using CanadianForex got me an extra 1.4 centime on the dollar, compared to TD Canada Trust. Not bad.

Fees

Because of the amount we transferred, CanadianForex didn’t charge us any fees.

Zero fees.

TD would have charged us at least $30 CAD per transfer.

Customer service

I telephoned CanadianForex a few times — once to confirm that my French banking details were set up correctly, and another time to confirm that there would be no intermediary bank involved. Both times friendly human beings with Australian accents (CanadianForex is owned by Austalia-based OzForex) helped me out and answered my questions.

The rest of my dealings with CanadianForex were entirely online, and very straightforward.

Side note: When I asked TD about their wire transfer protocol, they handed me a photocopied form, and told me that when I wanted to transfer money, I could fill it out and fax it to them. Fax!

Timing

From start to finish, the transfer took a few days. I ordered Euros on January 11, and received a confirmation that they’d been deposited in our French bank account on January 16.

When I checked, the transfer was exactly the amount quoted, and indeed, there were no fees or intermediary banks involved.

Again, not bad.

Overall

CanadianForex advertises itself as a cheaper alternative to wire transfers, and in my (lone) experience, it is. If you feel like saving a percentage point or two on international money transfers, they’re definitely worth checking out. I’ll definitely use them again.

But heres’s the thing: subscribing to and downloading new podcasts to my iPhone is fiddly. Syncing with iTunes on my Mac is fiddly. Downloading new episodes a-la-carte via the iTunes app on iOS is fiddly.

Which is why I was absolutely delighted to learn about Instacast. It’s a standalone podcast downloader and player for iOS, and it’s exactly what the iPhone’s built-in should have been. I wish I’d known about it sooner. Here’s a video:

Introduction to Instacast from Vemedio on Vimeo.

If you listen to or download podcasts regularly, and aren’t satisfied with iTunes, Instacast is well worth the $1.99 asking price.