I’ve mentioned in a couple of MFC episodes that YouTube are doing more and more to bring content into the site, moving away from the home video side of things, and dealing with broadcasters and networks. I’ve not really invested too much time in watching what’s available, although I do keep my eye on what deals they’re making. It came to my attention yesterday that our hero Leo Laporte has his TWiT videos available on YouTube now as well.

There’s always been a lot of talk about Flash and how, to be polite, it’s a bit of a CPU hog. In our house, Mr C will often be found bemoaning the existence of Flash, and it’s understandable that the Apple universe of products is less than supportive of it. I never really thought about the problem too much, but that has changed. I watch the majority of my TV on the iPlayer, with the occasional dip into Channel 4OD, and iTunes comes way down the list after that. I would love to buy up all my content on there, my Wish List is ridiculous, but sadly, I have yet to win enter the lottery.

The first episode of 2010 has a brand new look, and covers a wide range of topics that have caught my eye over the past month. It doesn’t work like that anymore From the Apple iPad, to the Amazon Kindle and everything in between, MFC gets a fresh look for 2010. Topics in this show also include how to keep wiki sites in business, and what would happen if you printed Twitter.

I’ve always been an iPod Nano person. I had the first gen Nano, a long, blocky, black thing, with a small and grainy screen, and enormous body. I skipped the second generation in preference for the third, although I was initially wary of the squat little thing. From a taller, more elegant solution, the third gen was a bit of a handful. It’s no surprise to me that they returned to the elongated shape for version four.

I’m currently listening to some old episodes of Net@Night, one of the TWiT stable of podcasts, and Leo Laporte was talking about feed readers. The episode is about a year old now, and even back then he was discussing the fact that everyone gets their news from Twitter, they choose a few key sites to visit every now and then, and that having a news reader is just too much information.

A while ago, they finally debuted Desert Island Discs as a podcast via the BBC. It took a while to sort out due to rights restrictions both with the music played, and with the original format owners, but it’s there, available to download, hosted by Kirsty Young. I only listen to the people I’m interested in, such as the recent David Tennant episode, but it’s good to have the option. For some reason I have a mental block when it comes to radio via the iPlayer so podcasting is a good way for me to get this content.

I have returned with another episode of Media. Future. Change, catching up with some of the news from the past few weeks. Google have been dominating things recently, with lofty goals and tons of new products, but there’s plenty more to discuss in this episode. It’s down to the user to be sensible Coming up today we’ll discuss how you can celebrate New Year at home, why Switzerland isn’t a fan of Google, and when video viewers are switching off.

We have long said that Leo Laporte and his TWiT network is an inspiration to us, and this video goes behind the scenes of what Leo is trying to do. I found it via the Inside TWiT blog, and they call it the best video about TWiT ever. Could well be. Worth a look even if you don’t like Leo, as there’s some interesting thoughts about net neutrality as well.

Mr C is often surprised, no, actually, the word is aghast, at the number of podcast episodes I have to listen to and how far back some of them are dated. I recently tried to play him a TWiT episode from March. Actually, even I think that is a bit extreme, but in some cases, it doesn’t really matter how old the information is. I listen to Farming Today, and over the last week or so, I’ve been catching up on some old shows. These are some of the things I learnt, and had a subsequent conversation with Mr C about. I would not have been able to do this had I just deleted the shows as he suggested.

Here is the fourth episode of Media. Future. Change. It’s taken a while to come to fruition, so it is packed with interesting news snippets. With Formula 1 heading into the off season, you might find a few more of these episodes floating around soon. This is what goes for news these days This week we’re going to talk about a USB stick you might want, Google taking over the world, or music at least, and news that isn’t really news.

One of the shows we do over on Sidepodcast is called the Parade Lap and features Mr C and myself in conversation with the fabulous Alex Andronov for an hour before a Grand Prix begins. It’s the kind of show that feeds off the audience - we ask for predictions and feedback, we play games and music, and it is generally a bit of fun and chaos before the racing action begins.

As a child, I didn’t like fireworks. I didn’t like the bangs and had no desire to go anywhere near the source of such a noise. For perhaps a year or two, at a certain age, I did enjoy a firework display. The sudden noises weren’t exactly ideal but I even went to a November 5th display where there was a roaring bonfire. Standing in front of the flames was quite hypnotising, if a little hot.

As podcasters, we made the exexcutive decision to invest in two gym balls to use as seats. Okay, we did it because Leo does it, but it is good practice. They tend to squeak less than chairs do, it’s good for your posture and generally speaking, an hour or two balanced on a gym ball is better than the same on an office chair. In some recent organisation, I had to let the air out and store the little white stopper plugs until such times as we re-inflated them. When that time came, I managed to plug one of them but upon reaching into my bag for the second stopper, it wasn’t there.

The idea with these shows is to keep them under ten minutes, so as to be a nice concise wrap up of all things media. Episode three is already a failure, but there is a bumper lot of news to get through, and we only just missed the target. Everybody is watching sport on the internet Today we’re talking about football on the internet, images with disclaimers, and broadband as a legal right.

Here we are with the second episode of this rough and ready podcast. Don’t be expecting them on any schedule, mind you, just because I’ve done one for the last two Thursdays, and just cos I mention next week. Shh. Kinda Hard to Describe in Audio This week we discuss all things piracy and newspapers, plus an iPhone app, a Google Labs project, and a really expensive gadget. All that and more in our whirlwind round up of all things future media.

Okay, fine, I’ll hold my hands up and admit it, not only am I a blogaholic, I am also a podaholic. Instead of writing several posts on our very new project Media Future Change, I thought I’d dive straight in and create a podcast. It’s a simple trip through some of the news of the past week or so, looking at how the media is changing or resisting the changes that are coming. It sounds kinda weird, I know, so let me clarify. The first show looks at video advertising in magazines, music editing on the web, and why there’s no camera in the iPod Touch. It’s only six minutes, so you may as well have a listen, and let me know what you think!

I found myself with quite a few stories to discuss today, and rather than spend time trying to string sentences together on the page, I thought I’d bite the bullet and get on with the podcast. If You Want More Than 140 Characters A roundup of media news over the past week, including behind the scenes of TV shows, editing podcasts in the clouds, and a small victory for ebook fans.

Leo has added to his ever-expanding network with a new show: This Week in Google. The first show is live, featuring Gina Trapani and Jeff Jarvis, with topics including Apple blocking the Google Voice app, drunk emailing, and Google Wave. Always recommend checking out a new TWiT show, even if it’s not your thing.

I remember writing a piece for The BBC Blog when Being Human got recommissioned for BBC Three. At the time, I said: Personally, I couldn’t get through the first episode, but it was even successful on the iPlayer. The first two episodes were the most watched at the time, and the website has seen a soar in hits. Well, as it turns out, they have been repeating the first season, presumably in preparation for the second to begin soon. I gave it another go on the iPlayer and absolutely loved it. Perhaps I wasn’t in the mood previously.

I was recently perusing the Podcasting News site and found an article with some new media tips from Trent Reznor. Now, I am only vaguely aware of Mr Reznor, not being a Nine Inch Nails fan, myself. However, it was the tips themselves that fascinated me. And by fascinated, I mean baffled. It starts off well. Have your MySpace page, but get a site outside MySpace - it’s dying and reads as cheap / generic.

Last week, I was reading about this Youth Centre in the US that has bought up some podcasting equipment to offer kids the chance to try their hand at recording themselves. It seems to be a summer holiday and half term kind of thing, a place to send your children - for a fee - to mingle, socialise, and learn things. According to the story from The Detroit News, the revamp cost a cool $3 million, but has the features to show for it:

The main thing they should teach you in podcasting school is that sitting on a gym ball is very good practice. Firstly, it helps with your posture and, you know, it’s better than hunching over a microphone all day. Secondly, it doesn’t squeak or creek, as most chairs are known to do. I can’t stand sitting on ours for more than about ten minutes at a time, but my podcasting partner in crime makes use of the gym ball during most of the live sessions we stream. He got the idea from our idol - Leo Laporte.

I have just read up about Jason Calacanis’s new podcast called “This Week in Startups” or perhaps TWiSt for short. From the original blog post about the new show, Jason says: I’ve spoken with my good friend Leo Laporte about using the name “This Week in Startups” (or “TWiSt” as he called it) and he was so magnaemous [sic] about: telling me he doesn’t own the “This Week…” brand and that he would support me in any way.

Earlier this year, Buzz Out Loud co-host Molly Wood left the show as a permanent host in an attempt to balance her life a bit better. Natali Del Conte stepped in, and it was obvious this was going to get some people’s backs up. I’ve been listening to the show for a long time, now, but I don’t feel any sense of entitlement to it. BOL does have a very strong community, but as a podcast from a big company, it’s understandable that people will come and go. I guess, as a podcaster, I know what goes on in the studio, and I know that things change. You have to be adaptable. Nothing good can come from pining over what used to be.

I was listening to a recent episode of Get-It-Done Guy and he talked about how to keep your desk tidy. This is a real bone of contention at home, as my desk is always in complete chaos. It’s weird, really, because at work I have the tidiest desk of everyone. If only I could bring that mentality home with me as well. The Get-It-Done Guy, Stever Robbins, talks of folders and cardboard boxes, general organisation tips that might help. However, my favourite paragraph from the transcript is the motivational bit:

I was listening to Buzz out Loud, and they pointed out a phishing email scam test. I’m never one to pass up the opportunity to rate myself, so I looked into it. The idea is to see if you can tell the difference between a legitimate email and one that is phishing for your details. There are ten questions, and each one shows you an image of an email, and you have to make the decision. I scored 80%, meaning I got two wrong. Unfortunately, I did it the wrong way and decided that two were legitimate when actually they were phishing. It would be better to have got it the other way and overcompensated.

Leo Laporte is turning his life into an internet show. But this isn’t like Justin TV, this is podcasting at its finest. He joined in the group of people who were live streaming themselves recording a show, which meant you could interact with people via the chatroom and it was all real time. Then he took that idea and brought it to a whole new level. Now he broadcasts live from his office A LOT. I still don’t have the schedule clear in my head, it’s every day except Mondays and Fridays, I think, and obviously there’s a time difference between here and the US.

Exam papers had answers on back What.The.Hell? Animal Utility Clips Oh, I want some of these. Especially the cow. I’m always getting told off for having wires all over my desk. These would solve that problem. Vandals in attack at Stonehenge “English Heritage said souvenir hunting was once a legitimate practice and chisels would be handed out to people visiting the stones.” Crazy. Podcasts prove break from routine “Comedy is dominating the UK’s podcasting charts. Who is behind these recordings and why do they make them?”

Design revamp for ‘$100 laptop’ I always thought the old one looked like a cartoon, and whilst aimed at kids, I found it quite off-putting. The new one looks beautiful. Twitter: Something Is Technically Wrong Well, I gave up already. Gyllenhaal confirmed for ‘Prince of Persia’ Firstly, I didn’t know there was a film. Secondly, that Gemma Arterton is everywhere right now, and I still haven’t seen her in anything.

TWiT Live Update I keep meaning to blog about Leo and his incredible live streaming plans. For now, this will do.

Mevio Dumps PodShow Name & Distances Itself From User-Generated Content Never believed in user generated content?? That is an untruth if ever I heard one. Willis to play Murray Walker in F1 biopic? This is beyond bizarre. Our Videos at One Year: Facts and Figures More lovely statistics. Major oil pipeline to close down Don’t.Panic.Buy

Ovation for Darius’s Rhett Butler I didn’t know this was what he’s doing now. A step up from Popstars, eh? Still, if the critics hate it, it’s bound to be good. McDonald’s savours designer look Wow. How much do I want a scarf with a big fat M on it? Driver fined for Bond car crash Right, sorry, isn’t he a stunt driver? How can it be dangerous driving when it’s his job?

When The Archers became available as a podcast, I was excited, simply from a podcasting fan’s point of view. Then I started listening, and was intrigued by the way radio soap is put together. The little things fascinated me – having to say character’s names more than you would in real life because they’re not always distinguishable by their voices, managing to make an entire 13 minutes listenable, despite very little happening, and clearly doing plenty of research into current and potential farming techniques.

Podcasting News » LonelyGirl15 Creators Get $5 Million For EQAL Startup I both love and hate LonelyGirl15 at the same time. It’s an interesting mix! Podcasting News » Audience For Audio, Video Podcasts Way Up Everyone loves a good set of stats. Quelle horreur! How can the French Eurovision song be in English? It irks me when songs have both English and their native language in there. Pick one and stick to it.

Vine to take over Points of View An interesting choice. BBC NEWS | Technology | BBC announces Nintendo Wii deal Coooool. Podcasting News » New Adobe Media Player Could Change Internet Television Looks very swish. I’m an Adobe Air fan, so interested to see how this goes down. Showbiz - News - Elton signs up for ‘Phantom’ sequel - Digital Spy No, don’t do it.

Amazon.co.uk: America Unchained: A Freewheeling Roadtrip In Search of Non-Corporate USA: Dave Gorman: Books Buy it, buy it now. Moving on to new projects - Veronica Belmont (link retired) But Mahalo Daily is so good… Podcasting News » Free Skype Call Recorder Where was this when we needed it? Amazon Payments Account Management (link retired) Earlier I told you to buy a book - now I’m telling you how. Cult - News - No romance for Doctor and Donna - Digital Spy

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Leaping stingray kills US woman “It’s just as freakish an accident as I have heard.” Battle Of The Podcasting Geek Chicks I watch three or more of these - how about you? The Next Chapter : LOL: The Life of Leo Ambitious - I like it.

Since I went crazy and started downloading every podcast that I can find, the space on my hard drive has diminished somewhat scarily. It hadn’t occurred to me, until Mr C said to make sure that I hadn’t filled the drive up completely. When I checked, I was quite shocked by the small number I was faced with. The problem is, I’m a bit obsessive about the podcasting thing. If I find one I like, and it’s not a time-specific subject (like the news), then I want to download as many as I can to catch up. Why would I only want to listen to half of something?

My list of unheard podcasts gets smaller and smaller until I find some brand new exciting ones that I want to listen to in their entirety. The time I spend at my laptop means I am being more productive and crossing things off my To-Do list as well. But it means other things are stacking up. I have still barely made a dent on my stack of books from the humongous Amazon order we made a few months ago. At least books don’t keep updating and getting bigger when you’re not looking. Like programs and podcasts do.

Recently, I realised that my podcast collection was a bit… lacking. I liked what I had but there wasn’t all that much diversity. I was looking forward to finding out some new shows. Thankfully, with 24 hours to fill, I managed to find out some new podcasts, download them all and pretty much get up to date. Actually, that’s not true, there are still a lot that I haven’t got round to, but I’m much happier that my list is overflowing with gems.