140Char

Just a quick update that I won’t be online much, if at all, for the next week, so updates might be quiet until my return…

Security North by James Cridland on Flickr (CC Licence)

Funnily enough, searching for a suitable image on Flickr just gave me the above picture by James Cridland, whose blog and Twitter accounts I started reading recently – and the discovery of each was almost entirely unrelated!

Anyway, a good friend and colleague is aiming to supply some guest posts for here and www.thewayoftheweb.net while I’m offline, so you shouldn’t be alone. And as he’s a video expert, hopefully he’ll redress a slight lack of Seesmic, 12seconds, and Mobatalk coverage due to my lack of good looks a webcam.

And after the soul searching I mentioned in my last post, there are several really good things which have renewed my commitment to the site in the jaws of posting something once a week to just keep it going. So this week is a great time to contribute ideas, suggestions, topics, applications, tools or anything else which might be of interest, as I should be online long enough to access my email and even print off some ideas to work onn for my return…just drop your input to thewayoftheweb at googlemail dot com

I’ve been watching the developments in online video from the sidelines, as somone who is still embarrassed by his time hosting a semi-professional daily webcast, and who has managed to avoid owning a webcam.

I can see why there’s an initial curiosity around lifecasting, but the reality is generally somewhat duller. I do get the idea of Seesmic, but I think to get the most out of it requires a commitment similar to starting out on Twitter, and I haven’t quite yet convinced myself it’s an additional output I need to find time for. I occasionally enjoy 12seconds.tv, but although the short clips are quite punchy and to the point, it always feels like I’m skimming over people’s ideas. (Although I do think @Documentally has really transcended the medium)

But I’m being totally honest when I say Mobatalk has convinced me that video has now arrived for microblogging – and for quick, easy broadcasting to friends and contacts.

Put simply, you go to the site, record a video clip (which plays back at a reall high quality in comparison to other services), and type a Twitter message into the site, along with a hashtag, which then posts it to Twitter with a link to the video.

Not only is it stunningly simple, but the navigation is really nice to use, with a really simple, intuitive and attractive display.

And then you discover you can subscribe via iTunes and Google Reader to an individual – or a hashtag – perfect for videos of live events etc. And did I mention you can also access videos via your iPhone?

I’m not the only one impressed by Mobatalk , but considering my natural cynicism, and the fact I’m in the middle of quitting cigarettes after 13 years, and I’m pretty surprised I can’t find any obvious faults.

It’ll be interesting to see how Michael Bailey – @mobasoft – develops the site, but there are advertising options already available, the video upload is quick and amazingly good quality, and it integrates well with Twitter.

It might even be enough to get me in front of a camera again – 140char weekly vidcast, anyone?