[Video] French Toast Alert - WBZ-TV's Joe Joyce Reporting for Universal Hub

French Toast Alert - WBZ-TV's Joe Joyce Reporting for Universal Hub



Boston goes crazy when there are snowstorms coming, we all rush to the supermarket for milk, eggs, and bread. On the local blog, Universal Hub, we've set up a French Toast Alert to measure how severe the storm is going to be.

Local forecaster Joe Joyce joins in the fun and recorded this French Toast Alert forecast for us.

Cross-Posted at Universal Hub

French Toast Alert info

Weather report by:
WBZ-TV Weather - Joe Joyce

Filmed on location with an iPhone 4 at:
Young Broadcasters

Video edited in iMovie 11 by:
Steve Garfield

Update:

The video made it onto the WBZ-TV Weather Blog:

Behind the Scenes: Live Streaming #TVnext with Ustream and Wirecast 4

In this blog post I want to talk about what it took to live stream the Hill Holliday TVnext Summit on January 28, 2011.

Preparation
Although the event only takes place on one day, there's a lot of work to do beforehand. One thing that we did was have a run through the day before to make sure that everything worked on-site.

Some of the things to consider when live streaming our your computer equipment, your video equipment, Your audio equipment, the Internet connection, graphics, streaming software and streaming provider.

Computer equipment

For the computer I used a MacBook Pro with a connected mouse and external monitor.

Video Equipment

Photo: Canon GL/2 courtesy Hill Holliday

The camera I Used Was a Canon GL/2 with a Breakout Box to accept an XLR Mic Input, and a Bogen Tripod. I used a Canon GL/2 for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that the camera has a FireWire port. You need a camera with a FireWire port to do live streaming unless you're using a USB WebCam.

Many of today's newer cameras don't have FireWire anymore, that's because they use USB to transfer files between the camera and the computer. There's no need anymore for them to log and capture footage from a videotape into an editing program. That's why you never see FireWire on video cameras anymore. The Canon GL to is also good because it has a really nice zoom lens. I also added a wide-angle lens. I didn't bring any additional lighting, because the event space at Hill Holliday is very well lit. Another good feature of the Canon GL to is that if any of the speakers were not well lit, I could adjust the camera to add more light.

Audio Equipment

Audio is the most important part of your video.

When live streaming an event, a lot of your viewers will be listening to stop the stream, and working on other things with the video either minimized or behind another window on the computer.

To get good audio, you need good sound equipment. Defaulting to the on camera microphone will work sometimes, depending on how close you are to the speakers.


In this case I knew that the invited speakers were going to be at the front of the room, while my camera was at the back of the room. For this configuration you might use a shotgun microphone, but Hill Holliday also contracted with avfx, and they handled all the sound.

All I had to do was provide them with an XLR cable and grabbed the sound off of their sound board. This is the best solution. This way you don't have to worry about the audio at all, and leave it to professionals who have expertise in capturing audio.

Internet
For the TVnext Summit, one hundred and fifty people were expected to attend. There was free Wi-Fi available to all the attendees, so I wanted to be on a hard dedicated Internet line.

There are many conferences you attend, and that Internet service degrades rapidly when everybody jumps on the Wi-Fi. So in this case I had a dedicated hardline hooked into my MacBook Pro, to guarantee a good connection. Whenever you're live streaming an event, make sure you have a dedicated line that no one else can share.

Graphics
For graphics, I worked with the team at Hill Holliday to create lower thirds graphics for all the speakers beforehand.

They did an amazing job. We also created slates to display at the beginning middle and end of the broadcast. There are a number of ways to approach this, but by pre-designing the graphics you'll get the best quality, and all the lower thirds text will be proofread beforehand, so there's no opportunity for error.

On the day of the live stream, Hill Holliday provided me with a hard copy of the order for all the speakers. Also, when there was a panel, the panelists sat in a pre-determined order so that my hard copy print out of each panelist's name, matched the order in which they were seated. This was very helpful.

Here's what one of the lower thirds graphics looks like.


Here's what one of the slates looked like.


Software

For streaming, you can stream directly to your streaming host using a web-based interface, but new applications are now available that makes the whole streaming experience much more reliable, and of higher quality. Depending on which host you use you have different choices for streaming software. In the past, when streaming to Ustream, I use their Ustream ProducerPro application. It's very nice, and the Pro version gives you added features like multiple cameras and HD quality. I recently sat in on a webinar, and heard from experts in live streaming that the combination of HD, your computer, and Internet connections make streaming in HD problematic. In fact, standard definition streams look really great when you have a good camera like the Canon GL/2. For this event, I used Wirecast 4.

Streaming Provider

For live streaming, we used Ustream. The stream can be viewed by an unlimited audience for free, and the stream is supported by ads. For an additional fee you can have the ads removed.

Going Live

Image: Wirecast 4 Broadcast and Record buttons

In Wirecast 4, when you're ready to go live, you just click the broadcast button. This starts streaming live to the user account and channel that you signed on with. In the broadcast settings dialog box, you can choose the quality and size of your broadcast and the destination. There are many destinations to choose from including Ustream, Livestream, Brightcove, Justin.tv, 'Record to Disk', and more.

Ustream ProducerPro vs. Wirecast 4 - Saving Video
One thing that's important to note, that's the difference between Ustream ProducerPro and Wirecast 4, is that when you click the 'Record to Serve' button in Ustream ProducerPro, your broadcast is saved to the Ustream site. When you're using Wirecast 4, and click the Record button, your video is recorded to your local disk.

After thinking about this difference, and seeing the quality of the saved video from this event, I think that saving to disk, and uploading to your preferred video hosting provider after the fact, might give you a cleaner archived video. What do you think?


Image: Ustream ProducerPro Broadcast and Record to Server buttons

The nice thing about the record button, is that you can continually live broadcast a whole day of sessions, and selectively choose to record each session.

This is really great because you don't have to stop the broadcast in order to save segments of it. The broadcast continues and your viewers are not interrupted and you can selectively record whatever you want. With Ustream ProducerPro all the sessions are recorded to Ustream, but with Wirecast 4 they are saved to your local disk.

For TVnext, this worked out well. I uploaded 21 videos to blip.tv, and had the opportunity to add in the title, description, tags, creative Commons license, and more. Wirecast 4 saved the files as .f4v, and blip.tv automatically converted them to display in a flash player, and also, since I have up Pro account, on an iPad and an iPhone.

Other video formats are supported. See the Wirecast features list.

  

One cool thing that Wirecast 4 allows you do do is set the opacity on your graphics. Here are two examples.

@SteveGarfield is skillfully using @wirecast to livestream #TVnext - great conversations & panels http://bit.ly/g0zDvU /via @craig_burgessless than a minute ago via CoTweetWirecast
Wirecast

great session Hill Holliday - one of the best online webinars i've seen in a long time. Well done. ( #TVnext live at http://ustre.am/rtdu)less than a minute ago via Ustream.TVdean collins
deancollins

See the Recorded #TVnext Sessions:

On my blog in a Playlist video player:
offonatangent.blogspot.com/2011/01/tvnext-2011-at-hill-ho...

On my video blog, individually:
stevegarfield.blogs.com/

Let me know if you have any questions.

Learn more about video in my book, Get Seen:


Update 2/2:

This post was featured on the Official Wirecast blog, Steve Garfield’s Blog: Livestreaming TVnext With Wirecast 4.

Thanks!

TVnext 2011 at Hill Holliday

TVnext 2011 at Hill Holliday, originally uploaded by Hill Holliday. CC BY-NC-SA

On January 28, 2011, Hill Holliday hosted its TVnext summit on the future of television, a medium that is increasingly becoming portable, connected and social.

I had a lot of fun live streaming this conference using Ustream and Wirecast 4. Stay tuned for a full writeup.

Update:
Behind the Scenes: Live Streaming #TVnext with Ustream and Wirecast 4

Recorded Sessions:


Jimmy Fallon's exclusive video, Behind the Scenes of Late Night Hashtags, starts at 39:15.

Update:
Baba Shetty of Hill Holliday blogs about Jimmy Fallon, [VIDEO] Jimmy Fallon Tells All at #TVnext, and includes a YouTube version, Jimmy Fallon: "Late Night Hashtag" - Hill Holliday's #TVnext Summit.

On the Web:
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Latenight Hashtags.

Recorded Sessions of TVnext Summit are also available at:

Blip.tv:
stevegarfield.blip.tv

My video blog, individually:
stevegarfield.blogs.com

Learn how to Get Seen with internet video, in my book:

#TVnext Tune in to the LIVE Stream on 1/28/11

#TVnext Setting Up AV, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

#TVnext is a Hill Holliday invite-only event that is bringing together top industry leaders to explore the new era of television – one that is increasingly more social, connected, and portable.

Watch the LIVE stream:
tvnext.hhcc.com/

Recorded:

Boston, from State Street, 35th Floor

Boston, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Setting up for tomorrow's TVnext live stream.

CVS: Regular Price 99 cents, Now 99 cents. SAVE?

CVS: Regular Price 99 cents, Now 99 cents. SAVE?, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Where's the savings?

Young Broadcasters of America Interview: Steve Garfield talks about Videoblogging, Jimmy Fallon and Live Streaming

I had a lot of fun being interviewed by the Young Broadcasters of America.

Here's the interview in two parts.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Mentioned:
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Qik

The Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards #Oscar

The Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards

Best motion picture of the year
Black Swan
(Fox Searchlight) A Protozoa and Phoenix Pictures Production
Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers

The Fighter
(Paramount) A Relativity Media Production
David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers

Inception
(Warner Bros.) A Warner Bros. UK Services Production
Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers)

The Kids Are All Right
(Focus Features) An Antidote Films, Mandalay Vision and Gilbert Films Production
Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers

The King's Speech
(The Weinstein Company) A See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production
Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers

127 Hours
(Fox Searchlight) An Hours Production
Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers

The Social Network
(Sony Pictures Releasing) A Columbia Pictures Production
Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers

Toy Story 3
(Walt Disney) A Pixar Production
Darla K. Anderson, Producer

True Grit
(Paramount) A Paramount Pictures Production
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

Winter's Bone
(Roadside Attractions) A Winter's Bone Production
Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
James Franco in "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Christian Bale in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner in "The Town" (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best animated feature film of the year
How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics) Sylvain Chomet
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Lee Unkrich

Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney), Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O'Hara (Set Decoration)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Bros.), Stuart Craig (Production Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)
Inception (Warner Bros.), Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design), Larry Dias and Doug Mowat (Set Decoration)/span>
The King's Speech (Paramount), Eve Stewart (Production Design), Judy Farr (Set Decoration)
True Grit (Paramount), Jess Gonchor (Production Design), Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration)

Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Matthew Libatique
Inception (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Danny Cohen
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit (Paramount) Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Colleen Atwood
I Am Love (Magnolia Pictures) Antonella Cannarozzi
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Jenny Beavan
The Tempest (Miramax) Sandy Powell
True Grit (Paramount) Mary Zophres

Achievement in directing
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
The Fighter (Paramount), David O. Russell
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
True Grit (Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Documentary Feature
Exit through the Gift Shop (Producers Distribution Agency) Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz A Paranoid Pictures Production
Gasland Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic A Gasland Production
Inside Job (Sony Pictures Classics) Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs A Representational Pictures Production
Restrepo (National Geographic Entertainment) Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger An Outpost Films Production
Waste Land Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley (Arthouse Films) An Almega Projects Production

Best documentary short subject
Killing in the Name Nominees to be determined A Moxie Firecracker Films Production
Poster Girl Nominees to be determined A Portrayal Films Production
Strangers No More Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production
Sun Come Up Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger A Sun Come Up Production
The Warriors of Qiugang Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon A Thomas Lennon Films Production

Achievement in film editing
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter Paramount Pamela Martin
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Tariq Anwar
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Jon Harris
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Best foreign language film of the year
Biutiful Mexico
Dogtooth Greece
In a Better World Denmark
Incendies Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Algeria

Achievement in makeup
Achievement in makeup (Sony Pictures Classics) Adrien Morot
The Way Back (Newmarket Films in association with Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Image Entertainment) Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
The Wolfman (Universal) Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) John Powell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Coming Home from Country Strong (Sony Pictures Releasing (Screen Gems)) Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
I See the Light from Tangled (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
If I Rise from 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best animated short film
Day & Night (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo A Magic Light Pictures Production Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let's Pollute A Geefwee Boedoe Production Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing (Nick Batzias for Madman Entertainment) A Passion Pictures Australia Production Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) A Sacrebleu Production Bastien Dubois

Best live action short film
The Confession (National Film and Television School) A National Film and Television School Production Tanel Toom
The Crush (Network Ireland Television) A Purdy Pictures Production Michael Creagh
God of Love A Luke Matheny Production Luke Matheny
Na Wewe (Premium Films) A CUT! Production Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143 A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in sound editing
Inception (Warner Bros.) Richard King
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
Tron: Legacy (Walt Disney) Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable (20th Century Fox) Mark P. Stoeckinger

Achievement in sound mixing
Inception (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
Salt (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Achievement in visual effects
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Bros.) Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter (Warner Bros.) Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2 (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment, Distributed by Paramount) Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Adapted screenplay
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Original screenplay
Another Year (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter (Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception (Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler

via [ oscar.go.com ]

Hot Water Freezes in Air with Wind Chill 20 Below

2 Degrees, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

A threw a cup of hot water up into the air when the wind chill was around -20.







Video:

Ricky Gervais says atheism shouldn't offend

"Unlike religious people, I treat all religions equally." Ricky Gervais

via [ Richard Dawkins ]

SteveGarfield.tv 1/20/11

SteveGarfield.tv 1/20/11, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Watch the episode:

thepulsenetwork.com/technology/stevegarfield-tv-on-tpn/01...

Steve Garfield is joined with Maggie Rulli and they bring you the latest on American Idol, Star Wars trench game, cooking bacon, and he also speaks with Kathryn Velvel Jones about live streamed theatre!

American Idol 1/19/11 - Who's the best from New Jersey?

Who's the best from New Jersey on American Idol 1/19/11?

This girl:


Ashley Sullivan - Image Courtesy: American Idol

If you missed the show, here's a recap:


Steven Tyler and J Lo were great. Really funny.


Image Courtesy: American Idol

Your thoughts?

Star Wars Trench Run - You can control the game with an iPhone!

Star Wars Trench Run, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Star Wars Trench Run was one of my all-time favorite arcade games. Now you can play it on your iPhone and online at Star Wars.com. When you combine the iPhone and the online game, you can use your iPhone as a game controller. Very cool. I found out about this the other day when I met Chris Allen from infared5. Very cool technology.

I play the trench run part about half-way into the video, 6:35 in.

Star Wars Trench Run at StarWars.com

Star Wars Trench Run on iPhone. In game purchase allows you to add the Brass MOnkey controller for 99 cents.

More here:
STAR WARS: TRENCH RUN 2.0 & BRASS MONKEY LAUNCH

Making Bacon with a Sandwich Press

Pictured: Niman Ranch Uncured Bacon

Steven Tyler, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots Perform “Walk This Way”

Awesome!

Univision is at Hi Lo Foods

UInivision is at Hi Lo Foods, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Store closing to make way for Whole Foods. Owners are happy. Community reaction needs to be determined.

Update:

Whole Foods announces move to Jamaica Plain

“Whole Foods Market has been keenly interested in developing a Jamaica Plain location. We are now eager to become active members of such a strong, diverse neighborhood and to open a store that is reflective of the vibrant community,” Laura Derba, Whole Foods Market North Atlantic regional president, said in a statement.

NEIGHBORS for NEIGHBORS
Lots of great discussion on the Neighbors for Neighbors site.

BOSTON.COM COMMENTS
More great comments, better than the article, on Boston.com.

Hidden Bargains: How to make the deals come to you.

Hidden Bargains: How to make the deals come to you., originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Tonight, 1/17/11, on WBZ TV at 11:00, a report on Foursquare. In this promo, I'm a hand model.

Update 1/18. Here's the report:

Steve Garfield and a friend scored an even better deal at the Turner Fisheries restaurant a few blocks away. Anyone who checks in on Foursquare gets 20% off all of their food. “I can get discounts just by doing what I normally do. That’s pretty cool,” Garfield said. It’s great deal for Steve and his friend and for the restaurant.

Thanks to Joselin Mane for setting this up.

Tom Brady Coloring Page

Tom Brady Coloring Page, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

From CBS Boston:

"BOSTON (CBS) – Trouble keeping the kids interested in the whole game? Or looking for a fun activity for the younger set during your playoff party? Print out these coloring pages and pull out the crayons."

See more:
boston.cbslocal.com/guide/new-england-patriots-coloring-p...

Are there privacy concerns about sharing your location on Foursquare?

I was interviewed about Foursquare, by 'Paula Ebben' of WBZ-TV, this week at Turner Fisheries, courtesy of 451 Marketing.

The Foursquare report is scheduled to air on WBZ-TV, aka CBS Boston, during the 11 PM News on 1/17.



Joselin Mane arranged the interview and let me bring a +1. Coincidentally Chris Allen of infared5 asked me if I wanted to go out for lunch that day, so I asked if he wanted to come along. He did and we had a great time. Next time I will try the Salade Niçoise.

In the interview I was asked, "Are there privacy concerns about sharing your location on Foursquare?"

Of course I said "No", and that you can set up Foursquare to only share your location with people who you have accepted as friends.

You have total control over how your information is shared.

Foursquare has a nice page explaining it all called Privacy 101.

Here are some highlights:

Foursquare Friends
To view another user’s check-in information, you need to add them as a friend (and they need to accept your invitation), or you need to accept a friend invitation from them. (Our friending model is similar to Facebook’s “friends” rather than Twitter’s “followers”). Only your foursquare friends can see your feed of individual check-ins.

"Off the Grid"
Sometimes you’ll want to check in without sharing your specific whereabouts with friends. This is why we created “off the grid” check-ins -- a way of adding places to your check-in history, earning points and adding to your mayor and badge counts, while maintaining completely privacy (even from friends). We find this comes in handy on dates, dinners with parents, or at a coffee shop when you’re just trying to get some work done - really anywhere where you don’t want to friends to drop in. To check-in “off the grid”, simply select “No” on the “Share this check-in with friends” option seen on every “check-in” screen across our mobile apps.

How do you handle Foursquare privacy issues?

Twitter Stream Graph for @stevegarfield

Twitter Stream Graph for @stevegarfield, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

It's interactive too.

Top 10 Women on Twitter Follow Friday 1/14/11 - #FF

#FF @averagebetty tickles your tummy w/ creative recipes, cooking demos, celebrity
chef interviews + satire. http://averagebetty.com

#FF @MaggieRulli Host at The Pulse Network and general life enthusiast
http://www.facebook.com/MaggieRulli#!/MaggieRulli

#FF @CaliLewis Host of http://GeekBeat.TV. Tech correspondent 4 CNN, FOX +
Sirius 101's GeekTime. I love quiet walks w/ my iPad. And bacon.

#FF @Zadi Producer/Director/Host making stories for an online world. Award-winning
tech & web nerd @epicfu. http://zadi.tv/bio

#FF @AlexaGoddard R&B singer/performer from the UK. http://www.alexagoddard.co.uk

#FF @sarahmerion I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive. -Albert Einstein
http://bostinnovation.com/author/sarah/

#FF @melissapierce Creator of Life In Perpetual Beta and hundreds of other less well
known good ideas. http://lifeinperpetualbeta.com

#FF @marketCait Creative thinker, networker, media lover. Enjoy using my brain,
developing strategies, creating results.

#FF @hermioneway Silicon Valley Video Director for TNW,
Founder http://www.newspepper.com and http://Techfluff.TV

#FF @kathrynjones online video innovator & new media expert. First web drama to stream live. http://kathrynjones.tv

Battle: Los Angeles Trailer

Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA - Blizzard 2011

Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA - Blizzard 2011, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

Top 25 Most-recorded shows on TiVo® DVRs and My Favorites

Most-recorded shows on TiVo^® DVRs

Rank

Name

Previous Rank

Change

1	GREY'S ANATOMY *	1	0
2	HOUSE	2	0
3	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES	3	0
4	AMERICAN IDOL *	4	0
5	NCIS	5	0
6	GLEE *	6	0
7	MODERN FAMILY *	7	0
8	THE OFFICE	8	0
9	CSI: CRIME SCENE	9	0
10	TWO AND A HALF MEN	10	0
11	CRIMINAL MINDS	11	0
12	THE MENTALIST *	13	1
13	BONES	12	-
14	THE BIG BANG THEORY	14	0
15	DANCING WITH STARS	15	0
16	OPRAH WINFREY	16	0
17	BROTHERS & SISTERS *	17	0
18	THE GOOD WIFE *	18	0
19	PRIVATE PRACTICE	19	0
20	HAWAII FIVE-0 *	24	4
21	THE CLOSER	20	-
22	CASTLE	22	0
23	MEDIUM	21	-
24	FRINGE	25	1
25	BURN NOTICE

I'm recording eight of these (*).


Two are Carol's favorites, Grey's Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters. 


Guilty Pleasures
Two are guilty pleasures, American Idol and Glee. 


The funniest show on TV
One is the funniest show on TV, Modern Family. 


Crime Shows
Two are good crime shows, The Mentalist and Hawaii Five-0. 


To Be Watched
I know The Good Wife is good, but I only watched the premiere and have (32) in my Now Playing list. Also in the same boat is Boardwalk Empire, I've got (12) if those to watch.


My Favorites
Two of my favorites that didn't make the list: V and Leverage.



Photo: V - Red Rain Courtesy of ABC

New Shows
New shows that I've jut added season passes to are The Cape, Bob's Burgers and Worst Cooks in America.


I started watching the free preview of The Cape on my iPad, but the next time I went back to watch, it was unavailable, too many were watching.  I've watched the beginning of Bob's Burgers. Very funny, plus it features my friend Eugene Mirman in it. 


Here's more on Eugene:



One thing I like about Worst Cooks in America, is that in the beginning of the show, you get basic cooking lessons.  This are good.


Movies
I've also got movies too, and am loving Religulous.


What are you recording?