I was praising FriendFeed a short month ago in these very pages, but I’ve come to realize that what FriendFeed will never replace Twitter and its ilk as long as it remains a mostly passive interface. Sure, it’s a great way to keep track of what’s happening with your friends as they use social media, but most of them don’t regularly visit FriendFeed to keep track of the conversations that start there. Unless FriendFeed can reverse the infostream and become a content source, it’s destined to remain a repository for the flotsam and jetsam of the infostream.
Marathon Training Report
If you’ve talked to me lately, you probably know I’m training for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23. When I started training six weeks ago, I had no idea how good I’d feel now. I ran 10 miles today. Next week I’m running 11. I’m breaking personal records each week! It’s been a great experience and I’m documenting it (for the most part) over on my Posterous blog, Marathon Man.
This is a far cry from my days in the Philebrity Fit Club competition. I’m not sweating weight each week. I’m concentrating on running distance comfortably and conditioning myself over the next 17 weeks. The weight will come off as the mileage increases to as much as 50 miles a week! It sounds like a lot now, but so did 10 before I ran it today.
As an aside, if anyone fitness/lifestyle company can produce a pedometer/watch better than Nike Sportband, please do. Today’s run along the Wissahickon had milemarkers and when I finished, my Nike Sportband was nearly a full mile off over the course of ten miles. Did I mention that condensation is collecting in the face of the watch? It’s time for Nike to admit that they rushed this product to market and issue a recall. I’m already envisioning the unbelievable class action suit that will be brought by a ton of pissed off runners who thought they’d found the answer to their prayers.
Video: Netflix on the Xbox 360 demoed
This has to be some of the most exciting news for Xbox 360 film geeks like me. As I mentioned when it was first announced, Netflix will make its “Watch Instantly” content available via Xbox Live, a move that beats Sony in the so-called battle for the living room yet again. As the video demonstrates, it’ll be simple and quick to select and watch movies, which translates into less down time between rentals and it means that more women like my wife Helen will consider the Xbox game platform more than something that’s just for the boys.
Watch the video to see how it works.
Netflix on Xbox 360
I can’t express how excited I am about the news that Netflix’s “Watch Now” content will be available via Xbox Live. This is a tremendous step toward treating Xbox 360 as a multimedia platform, a play Sony made with the PS3 and failed. Microsoft made a decisive move to broaden the appeal of the Xbox 360 beyond gamers and Netflix found a way to wean themselves off of the DVDs by mail service that revolutionized the video rental industry. It’s an amazing win for both companies.
As I look over my decidedly nerdy queue (I have La Guerre Est Finie), I see that most of the titles that interest me will be available when the Netflix content goes live on Xbox Live. If anything, I may actually save money by paring back my Netflix subscription and rely more on their unlimited video on-demand library. Netflix will undoubtedly work with Microsoft to influence the availability of new titles as the release windows shrink between theatrical and DVD release date. In short, it’s going to be a great fall and winter.
Music Myths in the Internet Age
Hypebot posted “5 Lies Indie Musicians Tell Themselves” today. Each of these would’ve been great to discuss on Saturday’s “Music 2.0” panel. They’re great conversation starters about how the Internet hasn’t really changed much for independent artists despite rumors to the contrary.
I absolutely agree that the Music 2.0 panel sandwiched diverse topics together that didn’t really jibe. I felt like Kristin Thomson from the Future of Music Coalition did a great job of moderating, but in a brief conversation after the panel, admitted that she wanted to focus on how new models can help artists get their due. That more or less guaranteed that we as a panel would be viewing the industry through rose-colored glasses, something I’d desperately hoped to avoid, solely because it seems disingenuous to do otherwise.