Julie wrote:

…Not bad for flying by the seat of your pants huh?

Pretty good!

Julie wrote:

As for your ideas for future episodes, we’ll definitely be doing reviews, interviews, etc. You’ve given me great food for thought and I really appreciate it!

Excellent. Can’t wait to hear ‘em!

Great post! A lot of the things you mentioned are things I already know that need fixed / changed. For example, better sound levels, music and a script. Like I had mentioned, the idea to go ahead and give this a go, just came at the spur of the moment. I think I told Rob that I wanted to try a Podcast on Sunday night (late), he added the necessary back end code and I recorded one the next day with no tools (actual mic) and knowledge of Garageband. Not bad for flying by the seat of your pants huh?

As for your ideas for future episodes, we’ll definitely be doing reviews, interviews, etc. You’ve given me great food for thought and I really appreciate it!

Julie wrote:

Post your comments on Gadgeteer Podcast #1…

Okay. Good and bad to the ‘cast.

Background first: The Gadgeteer itself is awesome. It’s been around for a while in one fashion or another and could be called a grand-daddy to snazzy upstarts like Engadget or Gizmodo. Since discovering the Gadgeteer, it’s pointed me in good directions a dozen times (and that’s why I keep coming back).

That said, here’s the bad news:

• Level was too low. Even a little bit of help would be handy, if only running the recording through [your favorite sound software] and boosting the volume. I haven’t played with “Garageband” – but I’d imagine there’s a volume boost in there somewhere. If not, you can pick up “Sound Studio” cheap and do a fairly clean edit job with it.
• Script. Script, script, script! …Especially if you’re the only one talking. At the very least, a more detailed outline. About 10 minutes into the podcast:

Julie wrote:

Sooo… let’s see… I’ve talked for maybe…

Deadly.

Mentioning time cues is a little different if you’ve guests and a dynamic environment (and you’re live), but if it’s just you, a mic and a stopwatch…?

• Don’t talk about losing interest – you’ll distract your audience from whatever message you’re trying to get across. This isn’t just a podcasting rule, it’s a media rule (and my background is “old media”).
• Podcasting vs. Netcasting… A gadgeteer podcast the perfect platform for gadget politics – but you have to make it dynamic and bring the audience into it (not make it sound like you’re opening the show with liner notes). If you sound tentative, you’re audience will feel tentative.
• You’re a Leo fan, go give “This Week in Tech” a listen with new ears. Note how they use music intros… and steal their production values. Start with something snappy, get your audience up and give them a ten-minute ride. Even Scientific American uses a little music.

Okay, now for the good:

• The Gadgeteer podcast can do wonders for you – and it can be a great tool for your audience. It was a good idea to start one and while bringing it up to speed might seem daunting at first, don’t let it deter you.
• You’ve got self-deprecating humor and a certain plain-spoken charm that can really work for somebody that’s ‘casting. It’ll be the personal counterpoint to all the techno whiz-bang that this podcast can (and should) eventually embody. After all, what good are gadgets without the folk that use ‘em?
• Keeping it short: wise idea. Like the gadgets themselves, this podcast should be a stylish and functional tool. Leave them wanting more and they’ll come back for seconds…

Now for the suggestions:

• Like mentioned above, this is the platform for gadget politics. Whether it’s “podcast vs. netcast,” frequency spectrum bids, municipal wifi legislation, cell-phone-while-driving laws… there’s a million stories out there that have a gadget angle. Even if you’re avoiding taking any sides, it’s a great place to elevate gadget consciousness.
• This is the perfect platform for gadget interviews, whether it’s OEM execs/engineers or high-profile users. I could easily see Gadgeteer doing 6 minute interviews with the likes of GPS users outside Baghdad or maybe the owner of Naneu Pro on why he decided to make bags.
• This is the perfect venue for reviews – or at least executive digest summaries of them until you have the bandwidth to start doing vodcasts.

So… that’s it. Just a few thoughts and suggestions.

I wish you luck.

Try again please You were our beta tester and you found a glitch. Thanks!

Scott

I have given some thought to reviews via podcast. Not sure how well they would translate. I guess it would all depend on the actual product and how well I can describe things, so that listeners would get the proper visuals.

I was a post-it-note person, but now I carry a Miquelrius in my gear bag. I like them better than Moleskinnes for everyday notes because they are soft bound. I keep my journal in a Moleskinne, but it lives in my desk drawer at home.

I’d be lost with out my “gadget fix” I get from my T|C – wish there was something new non-phone in the palm pipeline. I would have a horrible time going back to paper – although lately I’ve been supplementing with paper using pocketmod – it’s I don’t tend to lose them like I do with the many sticky notes I seem to accumulate during the day. Funny how they never all seem to make it back to my desk.

Look forward to more pod casts

I think if I was going to carry a laptop with me, I’d want a tablet instead. But what I REALLY want is an updated Newton. I wish Apple had never given up on it…

Julie wrote:

strider_mt2k:…
Regarding your comments of ditching the PDA in favor of a notebook computer… For me that isn’t even an option. I can’t imagine toting a full sized notebook around with me. Is that what you meant? You carry the laptop? Or, do you just carry the flash drive with your info? I could do the flash drive thing, but then you always need access to a computer in order to see your info.

I know it isn’t optimal for alot of folks, but I often do carry my notebook PC with me, and I always have my flash drive on my keys.
For my situation this works well.

The volume was low probably due to the fact that I used the built in mic on the iMac. My podcast shopping list has “good mic” written at the very top!

Regarding your comments of ditching the PDA in favor of a notebook computer… For me that isn’t even an option. I can’t imagine toting a full sized notebook around with me. Is that what you meant? You carry the laptop? Or, do you just carry the flash drive with your info? I could do the flash drive thing, but then you always need access to a computer in order to see your info.

Great job, Julie!
I liked the ‘cast, and thought the audio, while a teeny bit low sounded good.
I really like this site and appreciate your efforts.

I gave up my Sony Clie TH55 this year in favor of a notebook computer and portable applications on a flash drive.
For me they are a better extension of my desktop at home and let me do more than a Palm OS PDA did.
I’m also reluctant to try a Windows Mobile PDA or smart phone because I know there are limitations there as well.

I’m not ready to go paper, that’s a step backward for me.
However handhelds didn’t do it for me over the long haul, even with the “gadget fix” they brought.

http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/article/gadgeteer_podcast_1

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