The Sam Whitmore Sampler

SWMS Tech Media This Week: Mr. T Talks Storage Virtualization and 91,000 Watch on YouTube

Using video to pitch is a concept in full flower. Have you seen Mr. T. extol the virtues of storage virtualization? More than 91,000 already have. This YouTube video -- bravely crafted by Hitachi Data Systems -- continues to capture the imagination of journalists, marketers and competitors alike.

Video is but one topic addressed in “The New Influencers,” a new book from former Computerworld and TechTarget editor Paul Gillin. It’s well worth the read. By the way, Paul and I worked together at PC Week in 1985 and 1986. Here's a pic of us from late '85 -- I'm on the left, Paul's in red on the right. (Paul Bonner, who today is a freelance programmer in Austin, is the guy in the middle.)

Paul and David Strom interviewed me last week on their Tech PR War Stories podcast. To hear the interview, click here.

Meanwhile, our latest SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (5:56) is now posted.

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SWMS Tech Media This Week: BusinessWeek Comes to Airline Tray Tables

Fortune is redesigning, according to the New York Post's Keith Kelly. Condé Nast Portfolio's gorgeous first issue must have had an effect. Meanwhile, today on Fortune.com we can read David Kirkpatrick's exclusive on "Facebook's New Face," proving once again the power of an NDA. Negotiated exclusives are Fortune's trademark.

Next time you fly, pull down your tray table to see whether there's a BusinessWeek column stuck on it. We're not making this up. This Ad Age article explains BW's latest gambit to expose its brand to the jet set. Meanwhile, BW blogger Stephen Baker suggested that TechCrunch "appears to have a level of influence I have never seen at the magazine." The blogosphere buzzed about this pseudo-admission but we found it telling that only one BW reader bothered to post a comment.

Hear all this and more in the latest edition of the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (6:58), which is now posted.

To listen to our podcast right now, click on the URL below:

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SWMS Tech Media This Week: A Fresh Approach to Custom Publishing

Take a look at MuniWireless.com. It's fronted by blogger Esme Vos, recognized as an expert in the emerging field. It's got a clean look, ample advertising, an event series or two -- even a freshly posted commentary from tech industry legend Bob Frankston. The site looks like the work of a top-tier trade publisher, but MuniWireless.com is a custom web title produced by little-known Microcast Communications. This week on the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (6:54), Microcast VP (and former Ziff Davis editor) Joe Panettieri describes Microcast's strategy for spotting and dominating new tech publishing segments that larger publishers seem to be missing.

To listen to our podcast right now, click on the URL below:

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SWMS Tech Media This Week: NYTimes.com, Ziff Davis Media, SWMS Corrections

NYTimes.com has launched a small business section. Some content is repackaged from elsewhere on the site; there's unique content too. It's yet another attempt to capture advertisers' increased spending on SMB.

Ziff Davis Media no longer uses IntelliTXT technology on its web sites. Media consultant Paul Conley blasted ZDM this month for its use, inspiring Folio to follow with this article. ZDM senior VP Michael Vizard told us this week that ZDM is dropping IntelliTXT but would issue no formal announcement saying so, a tactic which didn't escape Conley's notice. Why publishers use IntelliTXT is beyond us.

And now, some SWMS corrections:

• We recently reported that PodShow issued an RFP for their PR business on two different occasions but never retained an agency. Not true. Between the RFPs, OutCast Communications had the account for three months.
• On May 3 we reported that PC World EIC Harry McCracken was on a cross-country flight and unavailable to contact PC World CEO Colin Crawford. McCracken was indeed on the flight, but had access to e-mail beforehand and therefore was not out of touch with Crawford.
• On May 10 we said that a PC World article was entitled "Ten Things We Hate about Apple." Good grammarians know we should have said the article was titled "Ten Things We Hate about Apple."

Hear the latest SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (6:49), which is now posted.

To listen now, click on this URL: http://slapcast.com/users/SWMS

To receive our podcast automatically each week, paste the following link into iTunes or whatever podcast receiver you use:

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In Response to Dave Slusher

Hi Dave! I knew you used to listen to Closet Deadhead back in '05 but I was surprised and flattered to learn you listen to Tech Media This Week as well. Your post is quite right: I should speak for myself regarding the proper length of a podcast. In the case of TMTW, listeners tend to be busy tech media pros who, when it comes to podcast listening, want to get in and get out. Ideally, they'll use the time I don't take up to explore and discover the work of others. Anyway, hope all is well and thanks for your thoughts!

SWMS Tech Media This Week: InfoWorld Debuts Video from Gina Smith

InfoWorld.com this week debuted "The Week Ahead," a weekly video segment hosted by Gina Smith, author and blogger and former on-camera tech reporter at ABC's Good Morning America. Posted each Monday, The Week Ahead is a "planner" that focuses on events expected to unfold that week. InfoWorld.com EIC Steve Fox says he wants tech PR to contribute ideas and gives us the details.

You may remember our recent piece about InfoClipz. We think these three-minute animated explainers are cool, so we asked InfoWorld.com VP and GM Virginia Hines to discuss them.

Hear these two brief interviews on the latest SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (6:53), which is now posted.

To listen now, click on the URL below: http://slapcast.com/users/SWMS

To receive our podcast automatically each week, paste the following link into iTunes or whatever podcast receiver you use:

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Have a good weekend.

IDG is a paid subscriber to SWMS.

SWMS Tech Media This Week: AllThingsD Launches; Wired's Fred Vogelstein Does it Again

AllThingsD launched this week. The long-awaited Dow Jones site is the  showcase for annual (and upcoming) D: All Things Digital conference in Southern California, co-hosted by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Our review of the site appears Monday on SWMS.

Wired's Fred Vogelstein managed to get himself in another controversy this week. Click here to read Jeff Jarvis's 1,457-word post about it, and its 60 reader responses.

Hear all this and more in this week's edition of the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (6:38), which is now posted. To listen now, click here. To receive our podcast automatically each week, paste the following link into iTunes or whatever podcast catcher you use:

http://slapcast.com/rss/SWMS/index.xml

SWMS Tech Media This Week: Arrington, Rubel in Hot Water

TechCrunch editor Mike Arrington is facing a lawsuit for his Apr. 12 article alleging that Rivals.com CEO Shannon Terry was “involved in securities fraud.” Attorneys representing Terry demanded that Arrington retract, correct and apologize before Apr. 18 or he’d be sued. So far, he hasn’t done so.

On Apr. 13 Edelman PR VP Steve Rubel stated in a Twitter post that he doesn’t read the hard copy of PC Magazine and that his complimentary issue “goes in the trash.” PC Mag EIC Jim Louderback publicly took exception to this, stating in a guest editorial on Strumpette:

Should I instruct the staff to avoid covering Edelman's clients? Ignore their requests for meetings, reviews and news stories? Blacklist the "Edelman.com" email domain in our exchange servers, effectively turning their requests into spam? If we're not relevant to Edelman's employees, then how could we be relevant to their clients?

Rubel promptly apologized.

Hear all this and more in the latest edition of the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (9:40), which is now posted.

To listen to our podcast right now, click on the URL below:

http://slapcast.com/users/SWMS

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Sam Whitmore's Tech Media This Week: It's The End of the Line for Line56

Line56 is being "shut down," according to someone close to the operation. The site as of Apr. 13 is still up, though it carries this message:

Dear Readers:

Thank you for visiting. Line56 Media sites (line56.com, portalsmag.com and destinationkm.com) are currently offline for redevelopment. Please continue to utilize our co-branded research library and research center.

General enquiries: info at line56.com

We called a senior Line56 official for comment but he hasn't called back yet. So we're going with what we've got.

Hear about this and more in the latest edition of the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (7:47), which is now posted.

To listen to our podcast right now, click on the URL below:

http://slapcast.com/users/SWMS

To receive our podcast automatically each week, paste the following link into iTunes or whatever podcast receiver you use:

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Sam Whitmore's Tech Media This Week: The Register Eyes a Bigger Share of U.S. Market

Week of 4/6/07

Print is alive and well in the minds of electronics engineers, according to a recent CMP Technology study to determine how engineers use media around the world. Of more than 5,400 polled worldwide, 77 percent said print was vital to their success staying abreast. That figure drops to 64 percent, however, with engineers 35 years old and under. Younger engineers tend to gravitate toward search engines, white papers and any source that provides deep technical info on demand, the survey indicated.

Japanese engineers were the only ones who expressed passion for trade shows. Demographically, Japanese engineers averaged 45 years of age (46 in North America), but only 30 in India, and 32 in Asia excluding Japan. Gee, where might tomorrow's engineering leadership come from?

* * *

Make sure The Register is on your radar. So far this year it hired Dan Goodin to cover security, Burke Hansen to cover legal issues and Austin Modine to cover networking and storage. In March, it opened an office in Mountain View to complement its San Francisco office. It's currently in the market for a PC reporter and will fill an additional two reporting slots before mid-year. On the sales side, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Nortel have signed on as US advertisers.

* * *

Interested in reaching youths, teens and tweens? Modern Media Partners is co-producing a two-day July event in San Francisco with Ypulse.com. Modern Media's Charles Pelton gives us details.

Hear all this and more (including details on the new CIO.com) in the latest edition of the SWMS Tech Media This Week podcast (9:49), which is now posted.

To listen to our podcast right now, click on the URL below:

http://slapcast.com/users/SWMS

To receive our podcast automatically each week, paste the following link into iTunes or whatever podcast receiver you use:

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