Photo Story is a nifty little program that turns images and sound into wonderful little videos. It used to be part of Microsoft Plus! and cost $20 but is now free. I’ve posted a couple of Photo Story files here at smays.com but this new version is the best yet. I grabbed some pix form KBOA830.com (the first website I did, back in the day) and tossed ’em in with some jingles that Jeff Wheeler saved. The 5 min video (3 meg .mov download) could have been better if I had taken the time to try to match images to audio but I didn’t (keep your Media Player at 320×240). It’s still a nice look/listen back to the golden days of KBOA. If you don’t have a copy of Photo Story 3.0… download it today.
Yearly Archives: 2005
Google Earth
Just when I think the Web and computers can’t get any cooler, something like Google Earth comes along. WSJ’s Walt Mossberg wonders if it has any practical benefits but admits it’s damned cool.
“The program lets you view satellite and aerial photos of pretty much any spot on the planet. In big metropolitan areas in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, you can locate, and zoom in on, individual buildings and houses, and see cars and trees. … The program rapidly fetches the images from the Internet and visually “flies” you from place to place around the globe. The process is so fluid it feels like a Hollywood stunt.”
The image above shows where I’m sitting.
Steve Jobs on podcasting
“One thing Steve Jobs said to me that didn’t make it into my [June 28] story was that he’s getting interest from corporations about creating podcasts to reach customers and others directly without going through [traditional media], offers Markoff. An example might include something like Adobe wanting a podcast for Photoshop users.
His point: All of this breaks down old traditions everybody is getting dis-aggregated by new technologies, Markoff says. The lesson for PR practitioners, according to Markoff, is to recognize that things are changing in the media. More people are trying to reach [audiences directly].”
— From a story by NY Times’ John Markoff who recently interviewed Steve Jobs when Apple added podcasts to iTunes
HBO’s Entourage
Reply
Excellent piece at nytimes.com by Virginia Heffernan on Jeremy Piven who plays Ari Gold on HBO’s “Entourage.” Love the show. Love the writing. You gotta believe every agent in Hollywood is watching.
To the assistant of an elusive executive, he (Ari Gold) offers dictation: “I want you to pass this message along to Dana. Tell her that I still have the pictures from Cancun. Tell her that I’m going to start a Web site. I’m going to take a full-page ad out in The L.A. Times advertising it. Tell her it will be called I’mahollywoodexecutivewhore.com and that no password or fee will be required. Tell her I want a call back.”
PS: Piven had a small but wonderful part in Grosse Pointe Blank. When I clicked over to IMDB, I was reminded of the great cast of that movie: John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Hank Azaria.
Mark Cuban on podcasting
“Podcasting is hot. Podcasting is cheap and easy. Podcasting can be fun. Creating your own podcast and trying to make a business out of it is a mistake. Unless you are repurposing content from another medium, it will be rare to find anyone making money from originating podcasts.”
— Mark Cuban
KBOA Studio C
I love this photo. It was taken by Johnny “Mack” Reeder, probably in the late ’40s or early ’50s. Studio C was the big “live” studio at KBOA. Lots of gospel, country and hillbilly bands performed in this studio. The door was used for sound effect. How much fun was radio back then?
Doonesbury on bloggers
“Isn’t blogging basically for angry semi-employed losers who are too untalented or too lazy to get real jobs in journalism? I mean if the market REALLY valued what you have to say, wouldn’t someone pay you for it?”
— Doonesbury
Kennett Porch
“Dead Celebrity” party
“My name is Joy and we are having a “dead” celebrity Halloween party and I stumbled upon your invitation (of) the death certificate. It is fantastic! Do you know where I can find a copy of a blank death certificate to make our invitations with? I thought you might be of some help since you have done this before. Your help would be much appreciated. Hope to hear back from you soon!”
I love that she is having a “dead celebrity” party and using fake death certificates for the invitations. I love that she somehow found her way to The Basement Diaries. And I love that her name is Joy.
Least Wanted
I’m becoming a big fan of flicker, the online photo site. Check out Least Wanted for some fascinating mug shots, including the one above. “Involved in a cutting scrape with Wm. Merrie – allegedly fighting over women.” Caution: There are more than 400 of these and it’s hard to do just one. I vow to upload all of my photos if it takes the rest of my days.