iPods and iTunes Mushrooming

Chuck Zimmerman

hitwiseSince I just helped an agricultural media company create a podcast and I’m in a podcasting mood I thought you might find this of interest. Keep in mind that all the people referred to are using an online environment that includes the biggest podcast directory. Is your company represented there? When I see numbers like these I do have to laugh about this public comment about podcasts and iPods that a farm broadcaster made recently, “It takes too much energy and management for busy people over a long term.” Yeah? Well tell that to all the new iPod owners!

Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today announced that the market share of visits to the iTunes website (www.apple.com/itunes ) was up 413 percent on Christmas Day 2006 (December 25, 2006) versus Christmas Day 2005 as new iPod owners flocked to the web to download iTunes. In addition, the market share of visits to the Apple Store (store.apple.com) showed an increase of 110 percent when comparing Christmas Day 2006 to 2005. The Apple Store was the fourth most visited website in the Hitwise Retail Index on Christmas Day 2006.

The market share of visits to Zune.net, the site for downloading the music software for Microsoft’s MP3 player showed an increase of 1,030 percent on December 25, 2006 versus the previous Monday (December 18, 2006). However, this strong initial performance was overshadowed by the iPod, as the market share of visits to the iTunes website increased by 1,222 percent in the same period, and outnumbered visits to Zune.net by 30 to 1. “For the third holiday season in a row, the iPod has been the must-have Christmas gift,” said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise.

Via Sundog.

Podcasts

New Farm Podcast Recorders From Olympus

Chuck Zimmerman

Olympus DS-50I’m not sure why companies wait until right after Christmas to announce all kinds of new gadgets but whatever. Here’s a cool one for you farm podcasters out there. I have an older Olympus digital audio recorder and you’ve listened to a lot of audio that Cindy and I have recorded on it. This one looks pretty good at first glance. The one pictured here is the Olympus DS-50.

Olympus unveils three new DS-Series digital voice recorders that bridge the gap between work and play. In addition to capturing audio of meetings, interviews and other critical information expected of digital recorders, the new Olympus DS-30, DS-40 and DS-50 are optimized for downloading, listening to and creating podcasts. The new recorders’ high sound quality is also great for listening to audio books and music, making them the all-in-one audio device.

Software included with the devices makes downloading podcasts easy, and the podcasts’ contents are updated automatically each time the audio recorder is connected to or “synchronized” with a computer. Podcasts and other audio content can be downloaded from any Web site. The new voice recorders are also specifically designed to work with Audible.com, a leading online provider of audio books and other spoken entertainment and information.

The price on these is very attractive too. They range from $149 to $249. I think the smallest one is plenty for what most farm podcasters would need.

Via Podcasting News.

Podcasts

M.Lakshmanan’s Blog On Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Because he emailed me and asked me to check out his blog he gets featured here on AgWired.

He’s M.Lakshmanan, an agricultural consultant in Tirunelvelli : TN : India according to his profile. You can find M. Lakshmanan’s Blog On Agriculture here.

Isn’t the web a wonderful and global place? So if you’re interested in a new perspective on agriculture check him out.

International

Backyard Bambi

Chuck Zimmerman

Backyard Bambi'sThe phone is ringing off the hook here at ZimmComm New Media headquarters. While I’ve been talking to people around the agribusiness world this was the view out my office window just a few minutes ago.

There’s actually 4 of them wandering around in the trees behind the home office. They didn’t seem to mind my taking their picture either. They just wandered off a few feet and kept on nibbling.

Uncategorized

Turn Your Tractor Into A Wi-Fi Hotspot?

Chuck Zimmerman

AutoNet MobileI wonder if they’ve thought of a category sub product called “TractorNet Mobile.” Probably not. But then I’m guessing you can put one of these in any kind of vehicle and that includes a tractor. How about checking your email while you’re spending a long day in the field? Or syncing your iPod to your favorite farm podcasts? Or checking the markets online without having to wait to get back to the home office? Actually you can do most of this now with a smart phone as long as you’ve got good service but getting to use your notebook computer is very attractive if you’ve ever spent much time looking at tiny little screen.

AutoNet says that it’s going to unveil this new product/service that turns your vehicle into an internet wi-fi hotspot this coming Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show. They expect to begin shipping them by the spring. It’s expected that the AutoNet Mobile Router will retail at $399 with a monthly service charge of $49. For those of you who spend a lot of time on the road like I do it’s certainly an option.

How much do you want to bet that this will be built into cars, trucks and tractors within the next year or so and come as standard equipment? Yowser!

In designing our service we also knew it was important to enable a wide array of wireless electronics devices to get connected. Since most electronics devices use Wi-Fi, we decided to turn the car into a Wi-Fi hotspot, just like at the local Starbucks. By doing this we can connect devices ranging from laptop computers to mobile media players like the Fujitsu P1610, from Wi-Fi cameras to Wi-Fi phones like the VoIP Skype Phone, and from stationary videogame consoles to handheld gaming units like the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS.

Internet

Lusty Promotion at Bader Rutter

Chuck Zimmerman

Cathy LustyCathy Lusty has been promoted to senior account executive at Bader Rutter & Associates in the agency’s relationship markteting group.

Lusty joined the agency in 2001 as an account executive. In her new position, she will continue to work closely with Merial, the agency’s animal health client, providing strategic planning, audience development, sales analysis and database marketing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Agencies

FarmWebDesigners

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Web DesignI don’t think I’ve ever done a post on FarmWebDesign although Jane Eckert mentioned it in a ZimmCast interview. Jane is the agritourism expert and she’s now been in the web design business for a while with a focus on farms.

FarmWebDesign was formed by Jane Eckert specifically to develop websites for American farms and ranches. Jane grew up on a farm, and today is one of the nation’s leading consultants on AgriMarketing. The senior marketing director for Eckert AgriMarketing, responsible for writing and creating your website, is Bill Mauk. Bill brings more than 30 years of communication experience to FarmWebDesign, and began creating websites soon after the World Wide Web was made available to the public.

Here’s where you can find examples of their work.

Farming, Internet

Siemens Travels South to Talk Canada

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensFrom February 12 to 16, I will travel in Minnesota, speaking five times to farmer meetings as part of the Linder Farm Network Marketing and Management Series of meetings. I’m looking forward to this trip because I know listening to the Linder Farm Network has become a Minnesota tradition with farmers across the state. For almost 30 years, the Linder Farm Network has been the Voice of Agriculture in the state with information that farmers need to know to run their business successfully.

I have known Lynn Ketelsen since about 1980 when I was a full member of the NAFB in the USA attending the annual conventions in Kansas City from 1978 through 1984. Linda Brekke interviewed me recently in preparation for my speaking tour. My tentative topic, “Hands Across the Border” will cover the diversification in Canadian agriculture, issues between the two countries, and how my goal has been, and will continue to be, to foster even better relations between farmers on both sides of the border. I give a broader perspective because I don’t only know the Canadian scene, but have a good handle US agricultural polices.

You can catch my interview with Linda broken into four parts on www.SiemensSays.com and go to the heading Siemens Travels South…..

Siemens Says

International

Ventura Foods Serving Low-Lin Oil

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast100 - Kelly Brintle - Ventura FoodsSince we’re all worrying about our weight after the holidays and resolving to eat right in the new year I’m offering you an interview with Kelly Brintle, Ventura Foods who talks about low-linolenic soybeans, specifically Monsanto’s VISTIVE soybeans that can reduce or eliminate trans-fatty acids in processed soybean oil. He talks about how high the demand is for this healthy oil product and what that means for his company and farmers.

This is episode 100 of the ZimmCast. Can you believe it? We’ve been doing this for quite a while now. Time flies when you’re having fun. Please email me your suggestions for topics and people to interview and I’ll try to get it done.

To listen to my complete interview with Kelly you can download the ZimmCast: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 100 (7 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast100-1-3-07.mp3

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes.

Agribusiness, Audio, Food, Soybean, ZimmCast

Applications Open For Andy Markwart Horizon Award

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAApplications are now being accepted for the Andy Markwart Horizon Award that’s being offered by AAEA and its Professional Improvement Foundation. It honors Andy Markwart, a member and leader of AAEA who died suddenly from heart complications last year.

The program is being funded with a $25,000 grant over five years by John Deere (Andy’s employer for many years prior to his death) and matching funds to be raised by PIF. The winner will be an AAEA member 35 and under (affiliate or active). The first winner will be named at the 2007 AMS in Louisville.

The winner will receive a $2,500 stipend. The stipend can be used for attending the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists annual meeting, the AMS meeting or a special class, seminar, workshop, etc., that will be approved by AAEA and John Deere. This stipend will be awarded to an AAEA member who exemplifies the youthful vigor, energy, passion, dedication and creativity shown by Andy in his volunteer work for AAEA for many years. “This is a fitting next step for AAEA to forever honor Andy’s work with our organization,” said Den Gardner, AAEA executive director. “His tireless efforts and enthusiasm will always be remembered and the AAEA member selected each year will typify Andy’s volunteerism and spirit.”

You can find the application here (Word doc).

ACN