new itunes feature

technorati tags: podcasts | itunes | odeo

why didn't somebody think of this long ago?

so when i signed into itunes this morning it asked me for my odeo password. i really didn't understand why and hadn't been previously notified about it. so i went to my odeo member page to see if i could glean what was going on.

in my odeo member area, there's an itunes icon with a link to subscribe to my odeo inbox in itunes. clever. now in my itunes podcasts directory there's also a place for all of my odeo podcasts.

does this mean that services like podnova, podzinger, audioblog, audioblogger and what-have-you will follow suit? i suppose in some cases it might not be good for the business model to be integrated into itunes, especially considering that podnova and podzinger are podcast search engines, but for audioblog and audioblogger - and similar services - it might not be a bad idea.

5:45 PM EST update: eric rice of audioblog IMd me to let me know that he commented on this post, but somehow MT was acting up and didn't except it. I don't know exactly what he wanted to say, but I do know that he reminded me that audioblog is not an aggregator. Thanks Eric. We like to get our reporting correct here.

and now that i think of it, i should have also mentioned a few video aggregators.

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i'll be back in a minute

just in case you've been looking for me - i've been in sunny florida getting my tan on. posting in this space shall resume upon my return.

though there's been minor storms, from what i hear it's a helluva lot better than it is in my good ole' brooknam right now.

tags: vacation | florida

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gadget mania

so i'm working on a story that requires me to test out some of the latest pda/smartphones. i just finished receiving the full collection today and haven't really had the opportunity to test any of them yet, but i hope to be able to provide some mini reviews in the next couple of weeks. as i'm ready to place my sidekick II with something a little more grown and sexy, this story i'm working on couldn't have come at a better time.

the gadgets i'm checking out include:

cingular 2125 smartphone
cingular 8125 pocket pc
blackberry 8700c
tmobile mda
verizon xv6700
treo 700w

the cingular 8125 and tmobile mda are pretty much the same device known as the HTC Wizard. there's even a blog dedicated to the device.
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tags: gadgets | pda | smartphone | htc wizard
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weekly top artists & tracks on last.fm

since i'm still trying to find a way to use either the last.fm rss feeds or chart designs that they provide for my site in a way that doesn't toally mess up this layout...i'll have to list my top artists and tracks manually. to see my last.fm page, click here. you can listen to my radio station (populated by the music i listen to and that's available on last.fm) there also.

top artists listened to Sunday Apr 9 - Sunday Apr 16

Spacek
Gnarls barkley
MF Doom
Peven Everett
Ghostface
E-40
DJ Drama & Little Brother
Sia
Rufus
Rahsaan Patterson

top tracks listened to Sunday Apr 9 - Sunday Apr 16

Rahsaan Patterson - The One for Me
Fugees - Wanna Be
Gnarls barkley - Promo track 06
Yummy - IS IT Good TO YOU Rmx Ft. FAB & RED Cafe
Gnarls barkley - 01 track 01
MF Doom - Impostas
Spacek - 123 Magic
Certified Bananas - Lemon-Red Mix Series: October Mix
Spacek - Starz
Arctic Monkeys - Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts
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tags: music | playlists | last.fm
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feeding my mixtape fiending part II

back in jan. i started becoming obsessed with mixtapetorrent.com for obtaining the latest mixtape torrents, only to realize that i've been sleeping. seriously, sleeping at the keyboard. how did i overlook Rap Hustle .Com?

we love them, not only b/c their site layout utilizes the same colors as ours, but there's loads upon loads of content there. set up in a sort of message board environment and with both a simple and advanced search bar, torrents are extremely easy to locate.

they boast a library of 1,200 + mixtapes, which includes an easy category set up for Music Videos, General MixTapes, Hip Hop Movies, UnSigned Hype MixTapes, Classic Mixtapes, R & B, Beats (Instrumentals), Reggae-Ton, Dirty South, West Coast, East Coast, Reggae, Blends, Chopped and Screwed, International, and Singles, Promos and Disses.

i found the nas pre-illmatic joint in the classics section and clipse we got it for cheap vol. 2 in the east coast section (btw, there's a pretty good article on clipse in last month's fader.

i guess i shouldn't be admitting that i use torrent services, huh? but it's not like i'm downloading full-length commerical works.

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on another note - right now my music of the moment is:

• DJ Drama - Pharrell: In My Mind (The Prequel)
• the promo of gnarls barkley's st. elsewhere - the project streets may 9 - (a cee-lo/danger mouse collab sounds so much better than a cee-lo/jazze pha collab)
• and then there's that ghostface meets mf or ghostface meets metalface or metalface meets ghostface (or whatever the hell they're calling the remix situation with ghostface and mf doom known as operation ironman)

tags: music | hip-hop | mixtapes | torrent

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job posting: Senior Web Producer/Developer

The Senior Web Producer manages front-and back-end production for online services and products. This includes, but is not limited to, design and production of site elements, marketing materials, management of QA, and management of site updates. Additional responsibilities include publishing content and production of newsletters. This position presents the opportunity to expand in its technical aspects.

Required Skills

Bachelors degree plus at least four years web content production experience
Proven product and project management skills and great attention to detail
Proficient in HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, PHP, Flash, JavaScript
Highly skilled in Photoshop
Highly skilled in all areas of web and multimedia production and design
Ability to hand-code HTML and CSS for cross-browser, cross-platform display
Experience with content management systems and web analysis tools/software
Experience with large-scale consumer websites
Strong understanding of web design and information architecture
Ability to manage interns and junior production staff
Experience with streaming audio/video a plus
Experience with entertainment & media websites a plus

Responsibilities

Manages daily production tasks
Conceptualize/produce creative online concepts
Analyze and report web traffic patterns
Works on CMS updates and SEO activities
Work with editors, ad reps, and developers to implement new products and product enhancements
Expand and maximize broadband user experience
Manage content from a variety of sources
Execute quality assurance and provide final approval for site updates
Execute Web, print, design and email marketing strategies
New technology and vendor research

Send Resume and Cover Letter to: resumes[at]vibe.com

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job posting: Mobile Content Editor

The mobile content editor researches, edits, proofs, and produces content to appear on mobile products including applications, SMS, and MMS products. This job entails daily contact with magazine and web editors, designers and production staff.

Responsibilities

Liaise with mobile product partner, as well as third-party developers and product managers
Manage daily production tasks
Work with online staff to coordinate mobile offerings with web site.
Attend content planning and marketing meetings
Monitor and post replies to mobile community and respond to emails
Work with managers to develop new content, editorial policies, innovations and best practices
Carry out quality assurance checks on products and product tools
Evaluate consumer usage of products and compile reports for senior management, and mobile partner
Conceptualize marketing strategies
New technology and vendor research

Requirements

Bachelors degree plus one-to-two years experience with web and/or mobile content
Project management skills
Experience with content management systems, Photoshop, and HTML
Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills

Send Cover Letter and Resume to: resumes[at]vibe.com

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hip-hop music TV

the good folks over at arcane music are back with the second season of their hip-hop video show at www.theBREAKDOWN.tv. the second season begins Monday April 17th at 9 p.m. EST and continues each week for 12 episodes. upcoming artist interviews include Murs, Little Brother, Swollen Members, The Gym Class Heroes, Ghostface, and The DST Graffiti Crew.

archived interviews include Immortal Technique, MOP, Jean Grae, Mr Dibbs, Qunique, and Hangar 18, among others. a new feature added to the site is the tour video blog, a behind-the-scenes video clip with an artist on the road.

users can sign up for a free subscription, which delivers a new episode to your email inbox each week.

it's like watching your local independent cable station on the web. though i don't see much sponsorship or advertising there yet, there's definitely a revenue model for this type of venture.

tags: hip-hop | music | web tv

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web rules

the leading story on Crain's this week discusses the path from print to web. remember when it was the other way around?

though i'm calling it the path from print to web, Crain's focuses on the death of print. we're thinking it'd be nice to give some titles the benefit of doubt.

anyway, it begins:

"The last few months have been busy ones for the Grim Reaper, as one high-profile magazine after another has fallen into his clutches. Budget Living, Cargo, ELLEgirl and Celebrity Living have all made the journey to the other side--and to the Reaper's snarky new Web site, MagazineDeathPool.com."

the (internets) has been telling print for the past couple of years that without a strong web strategy in place, consider your book a relic. it's not that i think it's the total end of print, but if ever there was a time for convergence - the time is now. media is just that - media - not medium. companies who have strong cable or tv, print, web, and mobile properties and know how to market them well are the ones that are going to be around after the fallout. consumers want their media on demand and advertisers want to reach them.

tags: media | magazines | web

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black female students at duke feel under attack

Not your video ho: Black female students at Duke say they feel constantly under attack by Fiona Morgan, The Independent Weekly, March 29, 2006

The writer documents a conversation with Duke students, attending a vigil, about race and the experiences of African-American students at the University.

Audrey Christopher, a recent graduate of Duke says in the article: "Even as far as invading people's personal space at parties, as a minority female, it happens. Frequently. We've had to leave parties. When you go to a white frat party, I've had so many friends and stories of my own where they got grabbed and had to leave."

tags: african-american issues | women's issues | race | duke university | sexual assualt

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urban teens have sex younger, survey says

a recent study by the new york academy of medicine reveals that four out of 10 city kids have had sex by age 14, and have engaged in oral and even anal sex by 17. the generally accepted national average is 16. this study, of course, raises concerns about STDs.

i give it a week before somebody blames this on hip-hop music and videos.

meanwhile, thesafeharbor blog on myspace reports: "According to a study by the Manhattan Institute, students in suburban high schools engage in as much use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs and participate in sexual activity as students in urban and city schools."

i stil give it a week before i read an op-ed blaming this all on hip-hop. and if not hip-hop, someone will surely blame it on the ACLU. Back in March the Union announced a settlement with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a case challenging federal funding of religious activities in a nationwide abstinence-only-until-marriage program, the Silver Ring Thing.

additives:

• The Lost Children of Rockdale County: A Syphilis Outbreak In An Affluent Community Uncovers The Lives Of Troubled Teenagers via pbs.org
  
• Perhaps The Should Lower The Driving Age? via Another Rovian Conspiracy
  

tags: urban teens | sex | sexual activity | youth | sex education

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lewd email reveals more facts about duke rape case

As reported today:

"A lacrosse player's e-mail vow to kill and skin strippers in his Duke University dorm room has started a chain reaction resulting in his coach's resignation, the season's cancellation and an internal probe into the university's response to alleged violence by athletes."

Be sure to check out the Justice4twosisters, a watchdog blog tracking the news in this case.

Additives:

• Email reveals more about Duke case via feministing.com
  
• Duke U. Lacrosse team rape case via blackfeminism.org
  
• Race and Rape at Duke University via Professor Kim's News Notes
  
• Clips to Watch: Duke Lacrosse Rape Accusations (CBS/CNN; News) via ClipBlast
  
• Duke Rape Case E-mail Shocker via The Smoking Gun
  

tags: duke university | rape | sexual assualt

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Women, Action & The Media 2006

I spent most of Saturday driving to and from the Stata Center @ MIT in Cambridge to present on a panel with Professor Angie Colette Beatty (Progressive Women's Caucus: The Voice of Women of the Hip Hop Generation) at WAM 2006. Filmmaker Rachel Ramist, originally slated to be on the panel, was unable to join us due to illness.

Jessica and Samhita of feministing.com were there live blogging the workshop, as they were there covering the entire conference and presenting a panel on blogging.

I also ran into Julianne Escobedo Shepherd there and Samiya Bashir, and Farai Chideya presented one of the keynotes.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the entire weekend of events, but I at least brought back a podcast of Farai's keynote and one of my and Angie's panel. Farai's came out crystal clear, but the one of Angie and myself cuts in and out making some of it inaudible.

PODCAST: Women, Action & The Media 2006 - 5:30 PM: Keynote talk by Farai Chideya

PODCAST: Women, Action & The Media 2006 - 4:00 PM - Workshop: More Than Shadows and Whispers: Hip Hop Feminists Battle Sexism, Harassment, and Violence (Presenters Angie Colette Beatty and Lynne d Johnson)

tags: women's issues | media | conference | hip-hop

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hip-hop @ NYU

From April 3 to 15, NYU’s Jack H. Skirball Center presents Fest Forward: Hip-Hop Unbound with an expanisve array of programs celebrating and re-examining 30 years of hip-hop as a cultural force.

I'm going to do my best to attend the following two panels, and either podcast or live blog them.

The Future of Hip-Hop
Saturday, April 8 at 7:00P.M.

We've given some of the sharpest critical minds in music five minutes each to offer three wishes for the next three years of hip-hop. Destined to be a controversial evening, the panel includes luminaries:

Ta-Nehisi Coates (Time, Village Voice)
Jaylah Burrell (Pop Matters)
Richard Goldstein (former Voice editor)
Margo Jefferson (Pulitzer Prize-winner, New York Times)
Bakari Kitwana (Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop)
Sacha Jenkins (Ego Trip co-founder)
Cristina Veran (One World, Spin)
Oliver Wang (Classic Material, Vibe)

Executive Decisions: 30 Years of Powerful Women in Hip-Hop
Monday, April 10 at 7:00P.M.

This exciting event will bring together some of the pioneering women in hip-hop who have worked as record label CEOs, presidents, and senior executives to reflect on the challenges they faced climbing to the top of a male-dominated industry. Panel includes:

Ann Carli, former senior executive at Jive
Lisa Cortes, former president of Loose Cannon
Carmen Ashhurst, former president of Def Jam
Monica Lynch, former president of Tommy Boy
Denise Brown, former head of Warner Bros. Urban

Moderated by acclaimed author and journalist Danyel Smith

tags: hip-hop | conference | nyu

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