i-Anya

Where have I been? I just discovered these podiobooks - serialised fiction done via regular podcasts. Here’s some info:

Podiobooks is a term coined by Evo Terra of The Dragon Page and Slice of Scifi to describe serialized audio books which are made available in podcast format. Subscribers to the podcast feed for each book will receive a new chapter each and every week. Some listeners keep it on their computers, some transfer the book to CD, but most (hopefully) transfer the file on to their mp3 player so they can listen no matter where they are.

All the books you’ll find on podiobooks.com are provided by the authors to you for free. Many authors do this to get exposure for their work, others do it in the hopes you’ll buy their next work in development. Still others simply do it for the sheer joy of writing. And while it’s not required, you have the option to donate money to the author of your choice. When you consider that audio books run usually 50% more than their hardcover counterparts… we hope you’ll be generous. Authors receive one half of all the proceeds from the donations from listeners. The other half goes to the maintenance and upkeep of podiobooks.com.

There’s a podiocast blog with updates on new books and other assorted relevant podcasts. So I’ve started listening to this one:

which also has an associated blog, and a discussion thread in the comments section of the podiobooker blog.

I guess there’s not so much difference between this and other audio novels using older technology - I think I’ve listened to quite a few books while driving along in the car - but having it on an i-pod opens the audience up a bit more I think - although I don’t have an i-pod :> Nevertheless I find it all very exciting.

Today I attended a Media and Technology Forum and Workshop, organised by Chris Chesher:

It was a fascinating and stimulating day (though exhausting!) and included these highlights:

Seeing the sorts of projects involving media and technology that are currently happening at the ABC television network, such as this broadband animation demonstration by Stephane Zerbib:

Meeting up with Alice, my new art friend that I blogged about here, who is also coincidentally researching gender and technology:

Meeting up with Louise and doing group work with Anne (whose amazing book about Multimedia I blogged about somewhere)

We also had lots of group work involving the sharing of our research projects with a view to making connections with others:

I was the only education person in the room but fortunately I knew some of the linguistics and cultural studies people. I also met the guy that writes this blog, who kept our group thoroughly entertained as we worked, and some other bloggers whose blogs I haven’t discovered yet. It was great to be talking with so many people who shared similar research interests!!

And, after drinks at the workshop, I rushed back over to the education building so that I could drop in to B’s office warming party!!!