Renewing the Voice

Friday, March 26, 2010

Hatboro station now streaming LIVE @Monty

It's true! We are now streaming 89.3 WRDV-FM live from our Web site. We spoke with the guys at WRDV earlier this month about the idea and they were happy to get on board.

WRDV broadcasts Jazz Age classics, big band era, early blues, rock and country during the weekdays. On weekends, the station moves toward "roots of rocks and rhythm, doo wop and rare oldies tunes.

What really caught my ear were the local business advertisements. Around 4:52 p.m. Friday, I heard about a local pancake eating event in Warminster.

Click here to LISTEN LIVE to 89.3 WRDV-FM

Labels: 89.3, delaware, fm, hatboro, montgomery county, radio, wrdv

Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Mobile Test: Can Foursquare's mobile app meet other networks' standards?

Last November, Mashable creator Pete Cashmore anticipated the rise of FourSquare in 2010. He said, "you may wonder which social-media service will become tech's poster boy in 2010. Among the Web’s early adopter set, the answer is nearly unanimous: Foursquare."

Well, it's 2010 and Foursquare is my latest digital obsession. Cashmore was right when he said that Foursquare, like Twitter has an addictive nature, but I would like to see if Foursquare can keep up with social networks giants like Facebook and Twitter.

This week, I'm going to experiment with Foursquare to update my Facebook and Twitter via mobile device rather than Tweetie or Facebook Mobile. I want to see what Foursquare is missing and what it is capable of. Then, I will post another blog entry, here, at the end of the week about what I found and whether or not I think I could completely replace other social media mobile apps with the FourSquare app.

Why Foursquare could be the next big network

Unlike Twitter, Foursquare is a game. Users check in to restaurants, theaters, gas stations and even workplaces to earn points which are then added to a weekly score board measuring the user’s points against those of their Foursquare friends.

The game aspect of Foursquare is key to drawing both Twitter users and Facebook users who haven’t fallen for the Twitter phenomenon. This network doesn't force users to gain a following or get out. Instead, users can simply check-in, win the mayor's crown and earn badges among a small network of friends.

However, the network provides a fix for the Twitter-feins too. Users can sync their Facebook status and a Twitter account so that they can "shout" (the Foursquare equivalent of a tweet) from Foursquare while updating the other two networks.

These two aspects are what I would like to test in the coming week.

You can find me on Foursquare and Twitter @AndyStettler. Follow me and send me a comment.

Labels: cashmore, facebook, foursquare, mashable, montgomery county, Twitter

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Equipment Shed, Issue 2: The MinoHD Flip Cam

As Journal Register Company newsrooms across the country move forward with new CEO John Paton’s initiative to cover more stories using multimedia, Montgomery Media wants to be ahead of the curve.

In fact, we began using video coverage as an added aspect of our news coverage back in May 2009, however, now the entire Monty newsroom is pushing to cover stories with video more frequently and preferably in HD.

That’s where the MinoHD Flip Cam came in.

The MinoHD Flip Cam shoots in 1280 x 720 pixels and holds 8GB of video, thats nearly 120 minutes of footage. Below is a list of this Flip’s pros and cons.

Pros:

Durability-
During the snow storms earlier this month, I was able to walk the neighborhoods of Plymouth Meeting shooting HD footage even as the snow continued to fall. No other camera (at least that I own) would be able to withstand the wet and icy cold climate of this month’s snow storm without suffering some kind of defect due to moisture.

Compact Size-
Since the size of this Flip is no larger than an iPod, I can carry it in my pocket as if it were a cell phone. So whereas my Canon SX20 IS would be a hassle to carry around all day (often times, my camera bag is mistaken for a purse...), I barely even notice that I have the Flip with me.

Easy to Use and Dummy Proof-

Flips are the definition of a "point-and-shoot" camera. Any writer, editor, even the receptionist can learn to use a Flip. You simply press the red "record" button and action! I've also heard of some users who are a little worried about deleting their footage since the trashcan button is right there on the touch-sensitive device. Actually, users have to press the trash button a number of times to actually get the camera to delete your footage and therefore the MinoHD Flip Cam is practically dummy proof.

Cons:

The Zoom-
The zoom on this Flip is very weak. The Flip’s creators say it has a “smooth multi-step 2x digital” zoom but the last thing I would call this zoom is smooth. Users will never get that cool zoom-action shot they get from any other video camera. Instead, they will have to suffer from the camera’s spastic pulse zoom which looks incredibly unprofessional, especially in a news video.

In addition, do not expect to go to an event and cover a speaker from your seat. Try to catch as many one-on-one interviews as you can before the speaker takes the podium so that you do not have to rely on the bad quality zoom and it’s pixelated recording.

White Balance and Light Sensitivity-
During the recent snow storms, I enjoyed taking walks at night when the snow reduced to flurries. What I found was that I could capture almost everything in the dark landscape without having to find a streetlight for help.

However, go to any concert venue with stage lighting and forget it. The white balance and light sensitivity is completely automatic. I once had a friend tape a concert I played at World Cafe Live and the entire recording went in my trash bin because even with color correction, my skin was so bright that the definition was lost and so came the distorted pixelation.

Lack of Image Stabilization-
My intern showed me his method of holding the Flip so that users don’t get the “Blair Witch” effect but even with his method, the Flip’s shaky nature can get kind of ridiculous. Be sure to tell newsroom Flip users about the lack of image stabilization so they can prepare themselves to stay as stable as possible.

The Flip does have a a standard thread for tripod use but the whole point of the camera is that it is a hand-held device for users who are not interested in carrying a heavy camera bag or in this case, a bulky tripod.

Labels: canon, flip, minohd, montgomery county, philly, sx20 is

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Friday Night's Perigee Moon

Anyone whom happened to see the moon Friday night, may have caught themselves taking a second glance at the illumined man in the sky, the reason being that Friday's moon was colossal.

Due to its oblong lunar orbit which brings the moon more than 250,000 miles closer to Earth, the moon appears 14 percent bigger than any full moon this year.

I was on my way to dinner when I saw the moon at Jolly Road and Timberfare Circle in Plymouth Meeting. I had to pull over, much to the delight of my girlfriend, so that I could take a photo of the titanic moon as it shown over the creek that runs between Beacon Hill Circle and Timberfare Lane.

Labels: beacon hill circle, jolly road, montgomery county, moon, perigee, philly, plymouth meeting, timberfare circle

Flooding causing problems in Whitemarsh Township

I was driving around Monday, between rain storms, looking for a few photos for a slide show when I drove past Mathers Lane in Whitemarsh. Unbelievable! The entire road was flooded and even a FedEx truck had stopped, seeming confused, wondering how best to make the delivery to one of the homes under the muddy Wissahickon water.

I ended up driving a few feet down the street (the feet which were dry) and found Gino Ciavarelli of Whitemarsh watching the water recede from his home. He said the first floor was a foot deep in water earlier in the day. As you will hear in this video, flooding from the Wissahickon has caused much worse.

Labels: montgomery county, philly, wissahickon creek

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Eastern Montgomery County Emergency Management Group Exercise

I received this via email this morning:

Dear Citizen:

Please excuse cross postings.

This letter is to advise you that a comprehensive regional drill is being conducted throughout Eastern Montgomery County on the morning of Sunday, October 18, 2009. As part of this regional drill, two simulated incidences will be in Upper Dublin Township. One is a simulated hazardous material incident located in the office park and the second is a simulated problem with the Loch Alsh Reservoir Dam. We emphasize that the purpose of this drill is to familiarize responders of how to communicate and operate together and to provide logistical challenges to our "First Responders" and "Township Staff'. We do not expect to be closing any roadways or entering onto private property, but you will see emergency vehicles and people in response gear moving about the Township. This is only a drill and, again, an opportunity for our teams to work together.

If you have any questions regarding the drill or if your neighbors are not aware of this notice and express concern, they can contact the Fire Services Administrator, Greg Breyer at (215) 643-1600 x3272 or at gbreyer@upperdublin.net for information.

Very truly yours,

Paul A. Leonard
Township Manager
Emergency Management Coordinator

Labels: emergency management, montgomery county, upper dublin

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Comments on the "Obama school speech snubbed"

My response to the Times Herald article "Obama school speech snubbed."
It seems that every four years we have to push our kids more and more to care about politics, to get out and vote. It is our schools' job to teach our children the importance of public decisions and how our nations works.

For our county's schools to say that they will not show Obama's back to school address, to me, is just one more reason why our children can so easily care so little about politics.

I'm very dissappointed to hear that my former high school, PWHS, will not show the adddress when eight years ago, a political science teacher stressed so strongly during the Bush vs. Kerry election that when students are engaged in current events today, they and their country have a leg up on tomorrow.

I hope to see the Colonial School District and the other districts on Montgomery County change their minds. In the meantime, I remain disappointed.

-Andy S. "

Labels: andy stettler, colonial school district, montgomery county, obama

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Fungus Infects Montgomery County

The fungus that has infected tomato crops across the Northeast has now hit Montgomery County.. This infectious fungus is the same one that caused the Potato Famine in the 19th Century and although there is no forecast that the fungus, named Late Blight, will have the same lasting effects here in Montgomery County that was seen in the 19th Century, this is still something to be taken seriously.

One NPR specialist noted, "this fungus is spreading like nothing I've ever seen before."

Home gardeners and commercial growers alike are seeing the fungus strangle tomato crops and some potatoes are also dying off due to the Late Blight fungus. Below is some information on how to "Fight the Blight" and stop the fungus which forever changed Irish demographics.

PENNSYLVANIA VEGETABLE DISEASE UPDATE JULY 10, 2009 BETH K. GUGINO PENN STATE VEGETABLE PATHOLOGIST

If you are using a conventional spray program then start including late blight specific fungicides with translaminar activity. Make it a practice to alternate between fungicides with different FRAC codes for resistance management and tank mix with a protectant when needed (some products like Gavel already include a protectant). When conditions are cool and wet (conducive for late blight) use a shorter 5 to 7 day spray interval. The spray interval can be extended to 10 days under more hot dry conditions. Always check with Commercial Vegetable Production Recommends for specific rates and tank mixing recommendations and always check the label for chemical use restrictions before applying a fungicide.

Labels: fungus, irish potato famine, late blight, montgomery county, montgomery media, montgomery newspapers, tomato

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