Amber Mac

Just wanted to say a quick congrats to the commandN team!  Our two-and-a-half-year-old video podcast won the Best Podcaster Award for 2007 (CBC Radio 3, which we all love, came 2nd and Galacticast also made the winning list).  Our most recent ep, posted here, is typical for a cN shoot -  bad weather, back alley, and lots of geeking out.  Enjoy!

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (20)

OK, I know that y'all hated the naked photos of Robert and Shel.  Now I'm forcing you to look at naked bums.  It is a pure coincidence that my last two posts involve nudity, must be something in the cold Canadian air. 

I was doing some web navigation research and came across this site (long story how I got to Toto toilets in the first place).  Although these happy (clean) bums and faces could be annoying time and time again, I do really like the innovative way that Washlet uses Flash video and multiple hosts to guide toilet-loving users through its site. 

If you've seen any other interesting site navigation that breaks traditional web design standards, post a comment here.  Am off to watch The Daily Show, so good to have it back (perhaps it's my late-night posting that is leading to nudity >:-).

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (15)

OK, I've been known to go off on rants on net@nite about female bloggers posting half-naked pics online (you can find your own links :).  Well, now the boys are getting in on the action.

Pictured here is the Scobelizer (famous tech blogger Robert Scoble) and Shel Israel (tech consultant/author).  This photo is from a Techcrunch party in honour of a book they launched some time ago.

Now they're teaming up again under Fast Company's new online video network, headed by Scoble.

I have met both Scoble and Shel, with their shirts on, and can't wait to watch this FC network grow, as there are too few good tech/business video shows online.

I wish analyst/blogger Bob Lefsetz would do a weekly video show (shirt on), I could listen to that guy rant and rave about the music industry for hours on end.  His emails are classic.

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (14)

As for why Canadians still don't have the iPhone, here's the lastest buzz on the street from a reporter at The Globe & Mail

There is really only one telco large enough to sell the iPhone

—Rogers Wireless, the only large Canadian provider that uses the GSM

iPhone in Canada, Rogers has yet to offer it.

The reason, as I’ve mentioned earlier, is that Canadians seem to be

willing to pay the world’s highest prices for data subscriptions, in

which it is loath to do.

I don’t know what the numbers are, but I’m assuming that Rogers

hasn’t yet signed on for the iPhone for another reason — there’s no

competition.

Read full article here.

Also, the comments make for good reading...especially this one...

If there is anything less dark murky and obscurantist it's telecom in

Canada. I would like a mobile phone for a number of reasons, ( have you

tried to find a pay phone these days) and I would like many of the

mobile features for computer access. Despite my best efforts i honestly

could not decipher the actual costs, air time and downloads.  I couldn't. As I feel I am already being robbed blind for TV and land line phone, I guess I will simply wait in vain.  The

Canadian business model has been monopolies since the fur trade and

CPR. You would be a fool to hope the we will ever see a change.

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (21)

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (8)

I spent Sunday night with a team of 30+ bloggers on a CBC-TV quiz show called Test the Nation.  We, the bloggers, were pitted against five other teams - chefs, celebrity look-a-likes, taxi drivers, flight crews, and backpackers.

After two hours of answering a total of 60 question about the 21st Century, our team won the competition.  Aside from sweet victory, the best part of the night was hanging out with other web-minded people (a loud and vocal bunch I might add).

Some folks have emailed to ask my score, and I will reveal it as soon as I find out (if it's good of course!).  There are lots of entertaining pics up on Flickr, so check 'em out here.   

Here I am above with fellow Canadian lady blogger Miss604.  Of course the highlight of my night was when "Austin Powers" asked me to "shag behind the curtains" and when Borat penciled in my blog as a must-visit later that eve.  Ah, just another Sunday night in Toronto!

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (10)

My timing re: Macworld was bad this year, missed it by a day (so sad, hope Leo will forgive me!?).  I did have a productive week in San Francisco on the Tony Robbins project, etc., also got some pics done for my website (my good friends at Arktyp are working on an ambermac.com redesign to spruce 'er up and give me a friendly online home for some more regular video). 

Stay tuned! 

P.S.  If you live in Canada, tune into CBC Sunday night at 8pm EST.  I'll be joining a team of bloggers on Test the Nation, a new trivia show that aims to find out which group of professionals knows the most about the world.  I hope there are shiny red "That Was Easy" buttons.  For links to all my teammates' blogs, visit mynameiskate.ca.

P.P.S.  A la Dexter treatment, Brian just sent me this video.  It's a joke, but it's freaky!

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (13)

Hi.  This past Friday I officially resigned from Citytv (I say "officially" because I resigned in October to pursue other freelance projects, but promises of hosting a national version of Webnation vs. doing daily news stories sucked me in and kept me around).  Last week Rogers decided they no longer want to do the show, but the offer to stay and do news stories was still on the table.  I walked.  OK, I ran, and maybe I jumped a little in excitement.  I'm just saying.  Freedom is a good thing, right?  There are more boring details to the departure, but just imagine a bad TV newsroom drama set in Toronto.

For the past couple of months I've been working part-time on a project for Tony Robbins (and having a blast), so I expect to do more of that in 2008 (and, of course, my podcasts are still going strong).  I am also keen to give Webnation life somewhere else, so if you're in the market for a new media news show with a dedicated online following and a (small but swift) die-hard team, email me.  The show also just won Top New Podcast Award for 2007 on iTunes, so we are all like proud parents (minus the diaper-changing part). 

I'm pasting my top three favourite Webnation episodes below, which include interviews with comedian Andy Samberg, sex blogger Violet Blue, and citizen journalist Josh Wolf.  I'd like to say that I'm posting them here so that you can all watch them again, but who am I kidding?!  As some of you know, creating a demo reel is a pain in the rear end, so this is my online resume of sorts.  FYI - my resume is here.

I am off to San Francisco this week for some TR work and meetings, should be fun to get back to my old stomping ground.  Thanks to everyone for all your Webnation support and link love. 

Oh, and a belated Happy New Year!  Let's have an awesome 2008.

-Amber xo

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (48)

http://view.break.com/422660 - Watch more free videos

Hey.  Hope that everyone out there is having a wonderful holiday week.  Am guessing a lot of you ate too much, but still wish there was one more box of Turtles under the tree (OK, maybe that's just me). 

I'm still in Halifax and sad to say that it's good to get back to my computer to catch up on my surfing (and surprisingly worthwhile news about the Hilton family).  On Boxing Day, my brother (Jeff) and I dragged my parents over to the computer to watch some classic Internet videos (e.g. dramatic chipmunk, etc).  The newest on our "favourites" list is posted above - Baby trained to give the evil eye.

Jeff and his wife are pregnant with twins, due in February, so if they can teach the girls to give the evil eye I will be uploading it to YouTube asap (they will be like the Double Mint twins).  I promise.

Happy New Year!   Good luck with all your resolutions (this is a poor "role model" of good Jan. 1st ideas!).

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (13)

We've been doing commandN now for two and a half years, hard to believe.  The video podcast is 100% for sure the most enjoyable part of my work week.   In fact, let's be honest, it doesn't even feel like work.  It's full-on fun.  We run the show, a simple weekly chat among some fellow geeks.

We shot our holiday episode last night - and my bro Jeff and his friend Chris did their seasonal picks from Halifax.  This show will be our last until 2008, so I wanted to take a chance to thank a few people here. 

1.  The fans - I read each and every email/comment, so please keep them coming.  There's NOTHING better than getting feedback from our viewers.
2.  Brian McKechnie (AKA Bamcat) - I always joke about Brian being the glue, but the truth is that he is the glue.  He helped us to launch the show pretty much from Day 1.  I can't say enough good things about Brian, and there is no way to explain how much work he puts into the show (from shooting in freezing cold weather to editing out our bloopers to uploading each episode online).
3.  Jeff MacArthur (AKA my brother) - I haven't lived in the same city as any other family members in more than a decade, so it's awesome being able to do commandN each and every week with my big brother Jeff (the biggest geek in our family).

4.  Mikey Lazazzera (AKA Hot Stuff) - I started the show with Mikey almost a thousand days ago with an iSight cam and a PowerBook.  Although Hot Stuff is no longer on the show, he is one of my dearest friends and I hope he'll show up for some guest visits.
5.  Will Pate (AKA Beta's Dad) - Much thanks to fellow PEI-Islander Will for stepping up as co-host.  We don't have a budget, a fancy set (OK, that's obvious!), or any real structure/rules, but Will keeps on driving down from Sudbury to Toronto every Tuesday (a three-hour jaunt) just to do the show.  Hugs.
6.  Beta's Babysitter (AKA Beta's Babysitter) - Although we never really see you on the show, you keep Will's puppy happy during our cold evening shoots.  Much love from canines and non-canines alike.

That's all for now.  Here's to an amazing 2008!
-Amber

March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (11)