Podcast #7: Firefox Download Day, Yahoo! Search Monkey and Myspace intervention
This week on the podcast, we’re going to mix it up a bit. The format is a little different, but we’re still talking about lots of interesting stuff. I’m talking this week to Mark O’Neill, the editor of Make Use Of about his article on Yahoo’s Search Monkey Application Platform. I’m also looking at some ways to make your XP machine look and act a little more like a Mac thanks to an article by Kyle Judkins. There’s more great stuff, so listen and then come back here and comment. Let me know what you think about this format or about anything you heard in the show.
I’d also like to extend an invitation to anyone who wants to recommend a website on the podcast, be it your own blog or a site that you love to use. Just shoot me an email with the URL and if I like it, I’ll do a review of the site on the podcast. If you have something else to say, say it in a MP3 and send it to me at podcast [at] makeuseof [dot] com and I’ll play it on the air.
If you look underneath the links from the show on this page, you will see a little media player where you can listen to the podcast right here on the site. Or if you prefer, you can right-click on the “audio MP3″ logo and save the MP3 file to your computer for listening on your MP3 player or iPod.
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Links from the show
- Harnessing the power of ‘clouds’ [BBC]
- Oldest Computer Music Unveiled [BBC]
- One Red Paper Clip
- Get The Awesome Read it Later Extension For Firefox 3
- 4 Applications to Give Windows XP Mac Functionality
- RapidoWrite – The Mac App That Your Fingers Will Love
- Welcome To The Future Of Online Search
- Geeky Fun: Myspace intervention
Good start, got little bored in the middle , and good ending.
1. I personally like the way it was run at start, News topics and small explanation with quote.
2. Did not like the middle because it gets very boring when someone tries to lists features of particular application only by voice. Would be better just mention what it does with little less additional info and then refer people to article.
3 Particularly liked audio inserts (eg: audio fro BBC).
Thanks for the feedback. Good point about #2, I’ll keep it in mind. And yeah, I liked that fun newsreel type audio from the BBC, too. Maybe there’s some place to find a bunch of them and I could turn it into a regular feature.
Personally I find that 1:30 is too long for 2 people to speak just to each other. I preferred the earlier 30 minute podcasts.
Edit; Sorry it just appeared to be 1:30.
I have to agree with Serpins that this podcast got a bit boring after a while. I think the 1 person (jason) talking for more than 5 minutes in a row should be avoided. I think there should be some sort of conversation with pros/cons. My other comment is that I think the readers of makeuseof.com are smarter then you may think?? I hope we will get some more high tech talking, but maybe I am way off on this
. For the rest keep up the good work 
Thanks for the comments regarding the podcasts. However, why don’t you put those comments into a MP3 recording, send them to Jason at podcast@makeuseof.com and he’ll play them on the next podcast?!
Or even BETTER, why don’t you volunteer to be briefly interviewed on the podcast? That would be a nice twist – Make Use Of READERS being interviewed instead of Make Use Of writers….just email Jason.
Come on, you’re criticising the podcast for being “boring” so get on there and liven it up a bit!
I like the idea of Make Use Of Readers being on the podcast. What are you waiting for readers email Jason and get onto the podcast.
@Mark: you are right, I should record a message and send it to muo. By the way I am not trying to make Jason feel bad or something. But at the first podcast he asked the readers to post what we thought about it and so i did this as sort of positive feedback ….
Alfred – that’s fine, really. We like constructive feedback so it’s not a problem honestly. But we’d love for our readers to come onto the podcast! So why don’t you record your comment and be the first one?
Feel free to give your opinions anytime. It’s only with your opinions that we can shape the podcasts to what our readers want it to be.
(Comments wont nest below this level)Alfred, don’t worry about making me feel bad. I love the feedback, good or bad. Keep it coming.
I like this format a WHOLE lot better. But at this point you’ve got me hooked, so I think that unless you start narrating chess matches I’ll keep listening. Maybe the next comment I send is an mp3 one.