Are you Sirius about my XM?
The chocolate and peanut butter have combined.
SIRIUS XM Radio introduced the new channel lineups today. The two satellite radio companies have been merging forever it seems like. Now we get the pay-off. XM subscribers get access to selected SIRIUS programming and SIRIUS subscribers will be able to hear selected XM channels.
SIRIUS XM Radio says the same amount of music and non-music channels will be available as before. Some channels have been combined. Other channels have a new home on the dial.
SIRIUS XM says there will be no increase in subscription fees and subscribers simply continue to use their existing hardware.
If you previously preset your favorite channels, all of your presets will automatically redirect to their new locations.
For more specifics on the SIRIUS lineup go to www.sirius.com/newlineup.
For the new XM lineup, go to www.xmradio.com/newlineup.
Video chat via Gmail
Last night, browsing through TechCrunch, I read about Google releasing a video chat feature.
I installed it this morning. Works well, of course your friends have to have cams and Gmail and be in Gchat (pretty much like with AIM or iChat), but many of my contacts don’t use Google’s features in this way.
The real advantage of this is simple: it comes from Google. Which usually means more reliability and common sense functionality. Also, it allows those using Gmail for their email to use one application instead of multiple.
One roadblock I encountered was even by detaching the chat, when I closed (not quit) my Safari browser my conversation died too. No doubt user error and lack of time getting used to it.
Meet the Food Dude
Dave Cathey is The Oklahoman’s new food editor, succeeding Sharon Dowell who worked as the newspaper’s main food reporter for decades.
Cathey is bringing a new approach and is launching a video series. I shot his intro in our Studio B last week. He dropped off a tape of his chili making prowess. I combined about 13 minutes of b-roll/kitchen action/complete with barking dogs in the background into a roughly five minute video, using fast motion in FCP at about 450 percent.
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