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Chris Heuer

I have been a member of the Madison Social Media Club since it’s inception. It’s interesting to see what types of people go to the meetings, for they are not geeks.

This is topic I bring to the table with Chris Heuer (@chrisheuer) – Founder of Social Media Club. We talk about how SMC was founded and who would benefit from the club.

I then partake in the free Head-shot. I have a little fun with the photographer.

It’s officially Sunday Funday, and I was not going to sit up in my room watching twitter go wild with quotes like

Thanks @blogworld. Getting ready to board the plane. Goodbye, Vegas.

Before I left, I found about a place where I can watch the Packer game in Vegas. Rum Runner is a small bar south of the strip on Tropicana that hosts Packer fans. I decided to go there to start.

I didn’t know I was so close to the Pinball Hall of Fame or Liberache Museum.  RAWK!

Rum Runner – Packer and Badger Bar.

Rum Runner Bar

I started at Rum Runner – a bar filled with Wisconsin spirit. About a mile or so from the strip on Tropicana, this little bar / restaurant looked like the bars of the 70′s. Paneling on the wall, yellow lighting, pool tables.

It was also decorated in Green and Gold – along with some halloween decorations. The 100+ person bar was packed with packer fans, ready to watch the Packer – Miami Dolphins game.

It is too bad the Packers lost. It was a great time watching the game, rather than watching from the bookies room at Mandalay Bay.

Liberace Museum

Liberache Museum

I cannot say much about this, for I only passed the doors. It looked like an old Country Kitchen revamped to house the King of Bling. Fitting that it was across the street from Rum Runners. The mall behind the museum had the Liberace school for all.

I can also say the doors were about to open and there was a line waiting to get in.

Pinball Hall of Fame

Line of Pinball Machines

When I heard the Pinball Hall of Fame was down the block, I made no hesitation to plan going down there. The pinball machine is one thing I miss from bars nowadays. Not too many places have them nowadays. If they do, a flipper is busted or the game doesn’t work right.

Game after game, I marveled at a dieing pastime. Games that I remember growing up – High Speed, Pinbot, White Water Rafting, Adams Family – to the really old and the brand new. It was all there.

The first machine when I walked in was Iron Man 2. The first 2 1/2 rows had machines from the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s. Newer games started to mix in as you walked the aisles. The owner was working on a Pinball machine – running back and forth.

I got to play some pretty cool games. Orbiter 1 seemed to use magnets to move the ball around. No bumpers! You had to watch and predict as the ball moved around like it was possessed.

The hall also has old video games. Track and Field was one of them. I remember doing the “Comb” technique on the game. Asteroids, Defender, Donkey Kong – all the classics were there.

Storm is a brewin

Storm clouds approaching

Alas, I had to move on. I decided to take the walk back to Mandalay Bay – about 3 miles back. As I was about 1/2 way there, I look behind me to see the storm clouds coming in.

Now for those that don’t know – we are in the desert – it seldom rains there. About 7-10 days out of the year, you will get rain. So it’s great to see it rolling in.

I didn’t get very wet on the rest of the walk. I look out the window now and it’s definitely wet. The air smells sweeter than I ever indulged before. Very inspiring.

So it was back to the hotel, relax and get ready for dinner. Tonight I will be lounging downstairs and take a small nap for my 6 AM flight tomorrow.

I did put out a twitter for anyone still around that wants to meet up. Hopefully I’ll meet a couple more people tonight.

Here are the pictures I took:

Well, BlogWorld is only a couple days away and it is poised to be one of the most informative shows for any blogger, podcaster or videopodcaster out there. The list of names reads like a United Nations summit of people in Social Media.

The most interesting part of BlogWorld & New Media Expo is that you start to realize – We all don’t live in one spot anymore. While the West coast still has a great deal of Celebloggers, you will soon see that since you can create content from anywhere around the world, not all of those celebloggers and celebpodcasters reside there.

Here is a list of 10 people you should meet and learn from this weekend. As any list goes, we could go on forever. Nonetheless, here are my picks:

Adam Corolla

Of course, Adam has been a powerful name in the space. The best part is it’s not just Adam you should meet, but some of his team that will also be out there. Mike Cioffi for example, is a podcaster and also the producer of the Adam Corolla Podcast.

Brian Solis

Brian has schooled many Fortune 500 companies in Social Media. He coined the phrase “PR 2.0″. His new book, Engage, shows the evolution of new media and how to integrate in your day to day routines.

Mignon Fogerty

Mignon created the Quick and Dirty Tips network. Otherwise known as the Grammar Girl, she strives to show people how to write better content. The Q&DT networks has grown to a full how-to network. From speaking better, improving your career, training your dog, to keeping up on your math skills.

Darren Rowse

Becoming a Pro blogger can be a daunting task. Darren has shown people how to bring traffic and become successful. 31 days to build a better blog is a program he created for everyone to steer in the right direction.

John Chow

Ready to monetize a Blog? Well John Chow is the perfect person to help you with that. He has turned blogging into a profitable art form. If you want to make millions, or just pay your car off, John will give you all the tips you need.

C. C. Chapman

You might have heard of Mommy Bloggers, well C.C. is a Dad Blogger. He wrote “Content Rules – How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars to Engage Customers and Ignite Business”. A long name, but a powerful read in the new rules of social media.

Jim Louderback

Jim is the CEO of Revision 3 – a network of shows in technology that encases what is happening in the new media space. He also has some great names in the Revision3 stable that will be there, such as Cali Lewis.

Dave Taylor

Dave’s website – Ask Dave Taylor – sums up Dave’s expertise. Interaction. A Blog is not a Blog without people socializing, just like a Danish is a doughnut without the hole. Dave uses the people’s input to create his content.

Walt Ribero

Walt started by giving music lessons on uStream. However, Walt’s strong points are more on being offline than on. Meeting people and networking the good ole fashioned way. He can show you how to work each contact like it’s the President of the United States calling.

YOU

You might be the next new media expert. You might write the next book that changes the field. You could be the next on-air talent that millions listen to. This show is about you – so you should make it about you. Attend as many sessions and talk to as many people you can.

—

Like I said, there are many more people than the 10 on this list. I am hoping this will give you a well-rounded idea of why it’s so important to be at BlogWorld & New Media Expo. Networking, learning and practicing. The three key fundamentals to being successful.

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Kodak Playtouch (Zi10)

I have been excited of the Kodak line since it came out 2009. The Zi8 was a camera I could get behind simply because it had all the functionality of a handheld, but also had the ability to connect an external audio source. The only commercial handheld that had that functionality at the time was the Sanyo Xacti HD2000, but the price tag was $600 to Kodak’s $179.

Kodak has decided to upgrade the line with the next version in their series – the Zi10, or Kodak Playtouch. The biggest feature is the touch screen to your Kodak camera. Along with some added options, the Zi10, has really evolved, but is it worth selling your Zi8 for?

The Advantages

Fall from the PlayTouch

There are more options on the Zi10. The two big options are to add Sepia or Black & White video, and to trim your video straight from the camera.

With the Zi8, if I was interviewing and trying to get the sound from the built in microphone, it would look like the interviewee was too close to the camera. The Zi10 seems to be a little better. In fact, I had to move the camera forward on the geek bar, to keep the same look and not show a behind the scenes look.

Same Tree from Zi8

The camera also allows you to upload to email, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and more. It doesn’t have WiFi, but when you connect, it will upload to your favorite source.

The stereo Microphone jack moves to the top, but they also add dual functionality by also making it a headphone jack. That will definitely help when I am trimming video from the camera.

Both cameras have an attenuator for the microphone. The Zi10 remembers where you set it last. The Playtouch takes a faster speed SD card up to 32 GB.

The camera also upgrades the USB to mini-pin and the latch for the USB is redesigned. That makes it easier to connect to a computer without taking off a tripod.

The MEH…

The camera has the same 5 MP (1.6 MP for video) camera. Low light video shows the same, but there is a color difference in daytime shooting.

The zoom buttons are also touchscreen. When Kodak fixed the Zi8 zoom choppiness with firmware 1.06, I was happy because I could use the joystick with little shake. The touch controls might cause video to jump a little more.

The Issues

Every now and then the camera said the card was removed. I would turn off, then back on and everything would be ok. The view screen during recording is smaller. The advantage happens when you play what you recorded – the picture turns and uses the full 3″ screen. Too bad I cannot turn the camera 90 degrees during recording and have the camera compensate…

Sometimes, the touchscreen gets in the way. I had situations where I touched the unit wrong and I was recording or being asked if I wanted to delete. While you don’t want a heavy sensitivity on the screen, you don’t want it to stop recording because you are a butterfingers.

I also miss the little red light in the front so I know it’s recording.

The Verdict

If you have a Zi8, it might not be worth the $229 price tag to upgrade. You basically get Sepia, ease of upload and editing functionality to the camera. However, if you are looking for a handheld, I like this over the other cameras out there. Mostly because I feel that sound is very important and you can control the sound with this camera.

The cool part about the problems I describe with the Zi10 is a lot of those issues can be fixed with a firmware update (except for the zoom). Like the Zi8, it’s a great daytime camera to capture the family shots. If equipped with a light and mic, it can definitely get your friend’s band video, too.

Don’t forget to also get the Kodak Remote if you are a one-person shop. Also, Extra batteries will help if you are recording on the go.

The Video…

Want to see more about my review? Check out the Video below.

(The playtouch is a review unit supplied by Kodak. Geekazine’s review on the Zi10 are unbiased)

330 days from now, TV as we know it will have changed.

I’ve been saying that for a long time, but on Sept. 1st 2010, I decided to put it on the countdown. Why? Because Apple and Google came out with their set top boxes (Apple, finally taking it seriously).

When companies like Apple and Google get into this game, you know the wind is about to change.

The Comparison

GigaOM has a nice write-up comparing the applications on the boxes. Each one has their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, if you want the iTunes store, you will have Apple TV and that is it.

Expect this playing field to grow. The easiest box to program for is Boxee. If you know XML, you can get a channel on for nothing. The 0ther boxes might have you pay a fee for their SDK kits.

Kylo Loop

There are also many other boxes out there. PopBox, Kylo (they have that interesting remote they called “The Loop”) and others. Walmart purchased Vudu, which conspicuously is missing from the GigaOM list.

Why I Recommend Roku

There are technically two of them I will recommend. The Roku is really a no-brainer. For $60 – $100, you can start watching content right now. On any TV.

What really bugs me about the other boxes: They all have HDMI only video. For a box like Apple TV that has a high definition port and cannot play 1080 video, isn’t that pointless?

Roku

As far as I’ve seen through that group of 5, Roku is the only box with Analog plugs.

Early adopters of Flat screen technology bought their TV’s about 2 years ago -right before HDMI became a standard. If you bought a TV in the last 5 years, chances of you running out for another are a lot less.

Therefore, you will opt to get an internet TV box. That also means you will need something that will do either analog or S-Video. With a composite converter, you have those choices on a Roku.

Newer TV’s will start integrating a system (like Vudu, and the Google TV). It makes sense – kinda like buying the TV with the DVD built in. No wires and less clutter.

So if you are not buying a new TV and don’t have an HDMI port, then Roku will be one of your better choices. $99 with Wireless N and full HD is very appeasing.

Why I choose the Boxee Application

Boxee

Boxee has opted to allow people to download the application for their computers. Therefore, you can buy that little box, or make your own. Windows, Mac and Linux; Install the application and you are off and running.

Like I mentioned before, with a little XML knowledge, your Boxee application is created. You can submit to Boxee, or customize your own system to video, audio and pictures that you want.

The Boxee box does have a uniqueness to it, however without the option to plug into a standard TV, I would shy away from the $199 price tag.

The computer in my living room has the Boxee application on it.

Apple TV – Why?

Of course, there is already a jailbreak for the Apple TV. They also took it apart and found the similarities to an iPad. Down the road, I expect some really cool features of the Apple TV, but with no custom applications and having it run on the archaic iTunes platform, the device is best for the Apple fanboys.

You have a good set of choices for boxes out there. Right now I choose Roku and Boxee. Next year might be completely different. With $60 starting price tags and self build kits, you can easily have more than one system to choose from.