Mike’s Points

Okay, I’ve been dying to try to come up with a clever, catchy Twitter-related blog headline. (How’d I do?)

Anyway, with the Twitter chatter out there among the Twittter haters and Twitter lovers, I’ve thinking about it myself of late.

Twitter is nothing more than another tool. If/How it gets used will determine if it out-lasts its current 15 minutes of fame (though it seems like its fame is pushing 20 minutes). So, I thought of how could Twitter be used for the good of all mankind. And, here’ what I came up with:

• Internal use: For company-wide announements, why not Twitter them, rather than e-mail. Of course, these would be brief announcements (like the Outlook server will be down at noon for a five-minute reset). Though, with internal use, there’d be some licensing involved, which would allow the licensee to expand the dialogue box limit.

• What about integrating a Twitter box into a Wiki-like page or even a service like WebEx when collaborating on a document (presentation, etc.), rather than using a telephone.

• If you have all of your media contacts as friends or followers on Twitter, you can announce when news is posted to your online newsroom. But, isn’t that what an RSS feed would be for? That assumes you have all of your media contacts on Twitter.

• Twitter could be used to broadcast a play-by-play of a game to those who don’t have access to a TV, radio and the game is not Webcasted.

• Bascially, any need one would have to broadcast to an opt-in group a message (an announcement, direction, etc.).

Any others?

– Mike

Oh and yes, I’m on Twitter, too.

One of Chicago’s three public radio stations — WBEZ — will be changing its format come next April and offer a “user-generated content” format. (Tip-o-the-hat to JR at ToledoTalk.com.)

According to (not-so-secret) SecretRadioProject.com:

“It’s a creative free-for-all, with no shows and no stuffy time slots. . . .

Every time you tune in, you’ll hear something new and surprising - music, interviews, shout outs, essays and more. All with a local bent and an unmistakably Chicago voice.

And the best part: this radio comes from you. You’re the creator, deejay, producer and editor.

Give us your take on what’s happening in your neighborhood. Share your deepest thoughts, confessions and opinions about your world. Upload audio to our website and tune in as we play it for all of Chicago and the world to hear.”

There’s also a forum to discuss the project. And, NU student Matt Weir has a good story about it at his NewsAssignment.net blog. From Weir’s post:

“[I]t takes the infrastructure of cyber-community involvement — Secret Radio Project relies on YouTube uploading and a blog-esque style — and adapts it to a radio station serving a geographic community.”

I’m scratching my head a bit over this one. Maybe it’ll work out with some sort of semi-regular programming — ensuring the major airing hours are filled.

With outlets like radio, don’t we tune in based on the host and his/her show? We know what to expect.

While I’d be tempted to listen to WBEZ after the new format launches, if I’m not satisfied with the first few shows I hear, I doubt if I’d be back.

I’ll definitely reserve final judgment (assuming I’ll be able to pick it up on the ‘net), but it sounds like the new WBEZ be similar to the amateurish sounds and musings I heard on my college’s student-run radio station.

That is until PR and marketing people get wind of it. (Then, it’ll be one long commercial. )

– Mike

As much as I don’t like to admit it, I’m really starting to like Google. Its desktop search is much quicker in finding old e-mails than the “Find” function on MS Outlook.

And, its Google Earth and its API map applications others have used are really neat tools.

So, I guess yesterday, there was a lot of hubub about its Google Base. Yes, Micro Persuasion has a note on it. But, TechDirt really has some good analysis. As Mike said, Google Base is really about ” enabling people to create their own specialized apps, using a simple online database powered with Google’s search tools.”

See, Google is making useful tools. Making stuff that real, every-day people can use. Making it easy to blog. The previously-mentioned desktop search. Practical, useful stuff. Not flashy, but functional.

What a concept! Maybe that’s why Bill Gates is so concerned about Google.
– Mike

Technorati tags: Google, Microsoft, Google Base

The journalist geek and closet wannabe-tech geek in me just loves this one, because this dog really “fetches” the news.

Here’s a summary of what Sony’s robotic pup Aibo ERS-7M3/T can do:
“‘With one simple voice command Aibo can read the morning’s headline news while its owner folds the laundry,’ said Toshi Kawai, senior manager of Entertainment Robot America (ERA), a division of Sony Electronics.”

And, it can take pictures and add notes to a daily diary of its activities while its owner is away.

I love my dog (yes, a three-legged dog name Lucky), but think I could use another one.

– Mike

Technorati tags: Sony, Japan, News, Dogs, Wireless Watch Japan