I briefly caught sight of Libsyn today, just for long enough to read that they had a DNS problem, and that some people could access their site, and others couldn’t. Well I can’t see them now. I’ve switched our latest stories over to our own server.

This comes on top a torrid summer of  stats all over the place, and older “archived” files getting stuck on download due to “capacity issues”.

I suppose the truth about Libsyn is that they are bit ropy, but then they do offer unlimited bandwidth at a great price. They have made podcasting possible. This takes the edge off my frustration.

A man has been arrested for piggy-packing on an unsecure wifi network.

Meanwhile children on bikes are being shot by gangs.

It looks like Libsyn and all the podcasts it hosts are off the air.  Hack attack?  Or just a blip?

This animation is quite simple, but the characters sync their lips, blink, and move their heads from side to side. It’s all done with Crazytalk. I think there are loads of possibilities for promoting Storynory with these little videos. My big ambition is to have a hit on YouTube, where we have a channel. I’ve got some other ideas too.

If anyone else out there would like some talking avatars, with scripts and actors’ voices, get in touch.

Josephine found our podcast and said some very nice things about Storynory - thanks !

To return the compliment, Josephine is a great presenter with loads of personality, and an engaging way of talking to the audience. (I also love the 3d graphics). But I’m a bit puzzled why BT Podshow promote her wearing a golden bra in the icon of their PodfinderUK show. I’m sure that both she and the show could benefit from a more sophisticated image, more in the tradition of the various British Blondes who have fronted Rocket Boom (Amanda et Joanna).

(Correction - Amanda’s American. Sorry).

Number 1 is the place to be - ok it’s only number 1 in the UK Kids and Family section of iTunes - but it’s not a bad spot, and Storynory has been holding it for the past week. I’m glad to say that our plucky little frog icon is holding his own against some very well funded competition, including a copy-cat rival backed by Classic FM, The Times, and Ford Motor Cars, which has a total budget of £1 million no less. It’s also steady at Number 2 across the pond in the US iTunes Kids and Family Section.

On the business side, we have several partners who are now working on some quite pioneering ways to make money out of our archive of stories. There are still quite a few hoops to go through, but it’s interesting. I wish I could say more…

Does James Bond accurately reflect the British mood?  I’m switching off my brain and watching “The World Is Not Enough” on TV.  It’s from 1999 and stars the slick Pierce Brosnan.   Nowadays, 007 is played by more rugged Daniel Craig.  Does this mirror the Blair to Brown transition?  Does it reflect the current public taste, and does it suggest the best strategy to convince the public in today’s world?  A smooth act isn’t quite so trusted.   A few rough edges are considered more ‘real”.