Paul W. Swansen's Weblog

Live!

I had the opportunity to experience the new video tool from Yahoo this afternoon. It's interesting, a bit busy and from first appearances a bit rough around the edges. My own experiences, (note: your mileage may vary,) the chat room worked only part of the time when I entered someone's broadcast. The chat room reminds me of early chat programs when they first came out, like ICQ, with the wild colours and expansive fonts. For me it made for a less than pleasant chat experience. Thankfully there's Skype, and in one session we set up a back channel for text and for a while, voice, chat, to see if we all couldn't make sense of this new tool.

I was unable to find out how to carry on a conversation with anyone in particular in any of the broadcasts I joined. There were times, that I could chat with one or two people who were a part of the broadcast. Other times, we were relegated to writing signs with crayons and paper and holding them up to our camera's for all to see.

Does anyone know if your broadcast is limited to simply the four other video participants that show up on the screen? It occurred to me that the four other video participants on my screen were not necessarily the same folks that were on other participants screens.

In this day and age, I expect more from a company, especially like Yahoo, who brings out a program like this, and then apparently expects those of us in the general public to finish de-bugging the product for them. Overall the product looks good and the idea is sound to a point, and yet, it leave me and others I've spoken with with a less than favourable taste in our mouths. I'll continue to make use of the other video products that are currently available, and take another look at Live in a couple of weeks and see what has transpired.

Technorati Tags: Applications, Blog, Blogging, Chat, Chatting, communication, competition, mobilepublishers, mobiletv, moblogging, New Products, techsupport, Video, video, videochat, videochatting, videoIM, viral, Web2.0

Social Media Tools

There have been a few new Social Media tools I've been using over the past week or so. Adobe AIR applications, Snitter, twhirl, and and for Pownce. Earlier this week I dumped all of the AIR application/client's as none of them played well with anything on either of my computers. I like the concept of having a stand alone client for Twitter and Pownce and whatever else is in the works, along with certain features that were available, I was spending entirely to much time messing with the program to make it worth my while. So now it's back to using a web browser, sometimes Firefox and sometimes Flock, until the next generation of AIR applications arrive. I guess this is all a part of being on the bleeding edge of Social Networking technology.

Technorati Tags: Applications, Blog, Blogging, browser, browseraddon, browserwars, CustomerService, developers, Macintosh, New Products, Trends, viral, Web2.0

Headline writers gone awry

This is a sad story from ESPN. It appears that the headline writer is both geographically and anatomically challenged. So just where was he stabbed?

Technorati Tags: Blog, Blogging

Pondering

Moving back to typepad from a stand alone WP blog as I've not got the time nor patience to deal with WP.

Technorati Tags: Blog, Blogging, Colorado, Current Events, Internet Tools, Social Networking, Wordpress

Parking at the Quickie Mart.

  Parking at the Quickie Mart. 
  Originally uploaded by pswansen.

In a never ending way to find the great manner in which people insist on parking their vehicles.

Three Little Bears

And where it the Little Bear who thinks things will be just fine for 2007?

Associated Press Spins in Two Directions at Once: "

It’s the same poll, but the AP’s two stories couldn’t be more different. On December 30: AP poll: Americans optimistic for 2007.

And on December 31, after the editors apparently decided their first take was too positive: Poll: Americans see gloom, doom in 2007. (Hat tip: IRIS.)

"

(Via Little Green Footballs.)

Associated Press Spins in Two Directions at Once

Blizzard of 1913

Great link.

Antique Denver blizzard photos: "Xeni Jardin:

BB reader Mike says,

I like the pictures of a 1913 Denver blizzard that Flickr user etching has posted in his stream. (Just in his stream, not grouped, unfortunately.) It's a kind of silent editorial on the thousands and thousands of pics of the current mess. I didn't know that the buried car shot was actually a hundred years old, but I suspected as much. And I wish people still sledded down 8th Ave.

Link

Previously on BB:

Snowed-in Denver airport viewed from above (photo)

Great roadside signs of Denver

Guide to suburban Denver subdivision names

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Antique Denver blizzard photos

Technorati Tags: Denver | Blizzard | Snow |

Video Test

Don't try this at home without a "Very Fast" internet connection.

Technorati Tags: competition | Google | Video | Chris | Pirillo | media | networks | media | streaming | Revver | versus | video | video | network | video | upload | viral | video | YouTube |

Charging Too Little For Gas

This was big news here a week or so ago. Both King Soopers and Safeway that have Gas stations were affected by the court ruling. I can speak for my local area, and both King Soopers and Safeway were not the low price gas leaders in the local area. In fact they were a few cents higher than the "discount" no name brand gas stations, and a few cents lower than the recognized national brands. What wasn't addressed, is the fact that if either of the companies want to lose money on their gas prices, so what? I seem to remember reading that the gas station/convenience store are using their gas price as a tool to get you to stop for gas, and then in addition, buy something in the store, as you're already stopped. It reminds me of the days of the "loss leader" ads in the newspaper. The local grocery/market or other store would have a "loss leader" that would entice the public to come shop at the store. Then as long as you're in the store for that item, why not wander around to see what else the store has that you might "need." This is no more prevalent than on this coming Friday, better known as "Black Friday."

Gas Stations Sucessfully Sued For Charging Too Little For Gas: "Consumers are the real losers."

(Via Dvorak Uncensored.)

Gas Stations Sucessfully Sued For Charging Too Little For Gas

Technorati Tags: gas | gasprices | kingsoopers | safeway | blackfriday | lossleader | DvorakUncensored |

Get your skis and boards ready.

Been this way since 10:30 this morning.

I-70 closed from Georgetown to Vail, more snow expected: "DENVER - I-70 has been closed in both directions from Georgetown to Vail due to whiteout conditions."

(Via 9NEWS.com Top Stories.)

I-70 closed from Georgetown to Vail, more snow expected

Technorati Tags: Interstate70 |