Blogging Roller

Over the weekend I finished writing Chapter 16: Distribute Files Podcast style. The code for the chapter is a simple JSP-based web application called FileCaster, which you can use to manage a Podcast newsfeed. You can add a new Podcast by uploading a file or by referencing a file somewhere on the web. The app was easy to write, thanks to Commmons File Upload and good old JSP. I need to review it once more tonight and submit it to Manning tomorrow.

I've got to admit, I've never really paid all that much attention to Podcasting. I've reviewed a couple of Podcast book proposals, I've implemented Podcast newsfeeds and I've got the required software, but I've just never gotten into it. To make up for this horrible deficiency in my geek credentials, I spent most of the weekend listening to Podcasts playing in the background as I worked. I couldn't make it through many of the Podcasts I downloaded because they were either too mumbly and under-produced or too slick and over-produced (like a drive-time radio show). I did find some things to like. Here are the subscriptions that I didn't delete from my iPodderX Lite subscription list:

• IT Conversions [blog|feed]: Some of these interviews and conference sessions are simply amazing, fascinating stuff.
• Evil Genius Chronicles [blog|feed]: Interesting pop-tech talk and some good tunes.
  
• Caribbean Free Radio [blog|feed]: Good music and an interesting Caribbean perspective (recommended by Evil Genius).
  
• The Chris Pirillo Show [blog|feed]: Interesting talk about selling content, organizing conferences, pop-tech, etc.
• Geek News Central [blog|feed]: Nice review of tech news and nice overall experience, but I didn't really learn anything new here.