YTC030 - Quick catch up...

HAs it really been a month since the last one?  This brings me up to date.

Fresh Box TV

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the global reach of Internet TV and just how easy it is to become your own publisher on the Internet.

The success of ScreenCastsOnline was seeded by having access to powerful, yet relatively inexpensive, tools to create and edit the show. In addition, the availability of low cost distribution provided by such services as Libsyn, and the simplicity of downloading using media players such as iTunes, all contributed to making ScreenCastsOnline an international success and has kept me in gainful employment for the last five years.

However, it's rare that I get the chance to contribute to the local community and in many ways, the success of the show is fairly invisible to my home City of Liverpool.

That's why I was delighted a few weeks ago to be approached by Kris McDonald, one of the masterminds behind Fresh Box TV, to film an interview all about ScreenCastsOnline.

Fresh Box TV is a local initiative aimed at getting younger people in the City interested in video production.

The team have shot a number of video interviews with film makers, writers and producers but all mainly from the more mainstream background. I was asked to provide more of an insight on setting up an internet based venture and using the internet as a distribution mechanism.

It was great meeting Kris, Aaron (sorry for accelerating your desire for an iPad Aaron) and Greg at the Fresh Box TV studio, and they've done a great job in putting the video together. It's now up on the website and you can check it out here.

I hope that the interview may give some of the kids some inspiration to go out and give it a go themselves and kudos to Fresh Box TV for creating such a great resource. 

WWDC 2010 Announced

Apple have finally decided to announce the dates for WWDC and have left it pretty late with just over five weeks notice - streuth!

The dates have been announced as 7th - 11th June 2010 at Moscone West, San Francisco.

Much rumblings of disquiet on Twitter as developers are left with the last minute decision to attend. Looks like Apple have elevated the status of iPhone/iPad development over the Mac with @pilky on Twitter counting up the split of sessions (not counting the web sessions) as:

iPhone specific: 40

Mac specific: 6

Both: 14

It also looks like the Apple Design Awards are just for the mobile platforms this year - surely some mistake?

Tickets for WWDC are extremely expensive this year, with UK developers having to stump up £1099 plus VAT for a single ticket.  Add in the extra expense of last minute flights, accommodation and living expenses, it looks like Apple may suffer a backlash of WWDC being poorly attended by International developers.

I daresay that WWDC will be a sell out as usual (and by that I mean they'll sell all the tickets!) but it's a shame that Apple held onto the dates for so long. Surely this must have been planned for quite some time.

Anyhow, WWDC is an event I've never been to before as I'd always considered it to be inappropriate for me as I'm not a developer. Yes, I have a good appreciation of Apple technologies obviously, but some of the sessions look way over my head. 

That all changed when I went to the NSConference in 2009, a much smaller event held in the UK. I sat in on a number of technical sessions that actually were fascinating, even if I couldn't put them to good use but more importantly, met up with a load of really cool Mac developers, including some customers of mine. I found it to be a hugely valuable experience.

So I'd sort of played with the idea of going to WWDC one day, for a similar experience - learn something and meet up with developers whose products will end up being featured on ScreenCastsOnline. I've had several conversations with people who all recommended that WWDC was really a good place to go, both on a personal and professional level. One technical aspect I am interested in is some of the web technologies in relation to video on the web. Obviously, I have a vested interest in that!

So despite the expense, I've just made a rash decision to book a ticket and now I'm confirmed for WWDC 2010. I managed to get a combined flight and hotel deal at a reasonable cost but it's still a significant expense. As I needed to pay up front to get a good deal on my flight and hotel (with this short notice, I suppose that's pretty much unavoidable anyway) I'm going to postpone the planned upgrade to my MacBook Pro for the time being.  Otherwise, it would be a pretty hefty month!

It's a shame there won't be more International attendees based on some of the early feedback, but I'll try my best to fly the flag.

All About The iPad - New Tumblr Blog

After playing with the iPad for a couple of weeks, I think I've been fairly sensitive about the number of tweets and blogs posts I've made.

At the moment, my usual followers are split into three camps...

The Haves: These are the people who are fortunate enough to have already secured an iPad. Because of the staggered launch, most of these are based in the US and most are gagging for more information about the iPad.

The Have Nots: This camp is mainly full of non US citizens who although want an iPad, have not yet got one. Mainly due to their geographic location, but I'm also aware that a good many have not yet been able to justify the purchase of what may be considered to be a luxury purchase, or because they don't as yet see the point! As far as wanting more iPad information, this camp is fractured into those that know they are getting an iPad eventually and are more than happy to read about the iPad, and those that are so frustrated that they can't get an iPad that every iPad related tweet is a personal affront and just serves to further remind them that they can't get one - yet!

The Could'nt Care Less: These are those that are Mac fans that haven't yet decided on if they want one or not but really, all this iPad banter is really starting to rack them off big time!

So what to do...

I've been biting my virtual lip since I got the iPad wanting to give you updates and comments on how I'm finding it, what's good, what's bad (yes there are some bad things), how I'm using it, what accessories I've bought or planning to buy, etc.

I was hoping that the rest of the world would at least be able to buy an iPad in the next week or so, but that's been pushed back, as you all so painfully well know!

Well my solution has been to create a new Tumblr blog - All About The iPad

This is the place where I can speak freely about the iPad and nothing but the iPad. I chose the Tumblr format as I'm hoping to keep it short and sweet with regular short updates on things I find of interest about the iPad.

I know it's yet another source of information to track (if you want to that is) but as well as the website, there's also an RSS feed, as well as a dedicated Twitter account (@allabouttheipad), both of which will have the updates from the website propagated automatically. Choose your favourite method of consumption.

I'll also add the RSS feed into the ScreenCastsOnline iPhone app later this morning.

The Tumblr blog has comments enabled so feel free to comment away.

There is also an "Ask a question" button on the blog so if you have any iPad related questions, fire away and I'll do my best to respond.

So I hope you find the blog a useful source of iPad information over time and of course, feel free to retweet, relink, digg or whatever you want to spread the word!

BTW, the blog is a work in progress so the format may change or you may see additional widgets and stuff appear over time.

The MacTech 25 - 2010

Well knock me down with a feather!

It's a pretty weird feeling to be browsing the latest MacTech 25 list (The 25 most influential Rock Stars, MVPs, Prophets, and Pundits in the Apple Technical Community) and suddenly to see your own name in the list.

Wow!

I'm truly honoured.

Made even more so by the fact that it's a Mac community vote - amazing.

Thanks so much to all who voted for me, I'm really knocked out.