Spellbound

Not shown in the picture, is the rest of my huge, spellbound audience, at BarCamp Boston.

Botcast Buddy Debut

I just got back from BarCamp Boston. It was great. I talked to a lot of people about Botcast Buddy, and the reaction was fairly positive.

One take away for me: Geeks are just as reluctant to embrace robot voices as non-geeks. I continue to hold on to the theory that if the content is interesting enough, I can clear this hurdle.

Strangely, the people that seemed most psyched about what I am doing are the real estate entrepreneurs. Go figure.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention. Botcast Buddy is now released. I think funny things will happen, after the 500th visitor, because of the arrangement between Skype and Voxeo, with respect to developer accounts. So, last one there is a rotten egg!

Not Everything is Dismal ...

Things are heating up in the robot economics listening consumer market.

Alpha Testing: Dial -A-Botcast (Also Skype)

I'm building a Dial-A-Botcast type service. You start by dialing:

1-800-289-5570

And then use the pin:

9991251983

Or you can use one of these other modes of access:

PIN Access (407) 386-2174 then PIN: 9991251983
Skype VoIP +99000936 9991251983
FWD VoIP **86919991251983
SIP VoIP SIP:9991251983@sip.voxeo.net

When the attractive female voice reads the numbers, you can either say them, or press them on your keypad.

The Skype way is a great way to access the service, for my testing. But here, go ahead and try it:



I love this, for many reason, but one is, it's like having an iPod, on the server. This gives me great freedom to work on the UI, in software, and not have to wait around for Apple to invent stuff, to put on their hardware.

I'm hoping that once I get good at VoiceXML programming, I'll have an interface where the user can quickly jump around between Rebotcasts, and individual items, by rapidly navigating with typepad keys, or voice. It's not hard to imagine this surpassing the iPod, for in-car Botcast listening, in fairly short order.

For a Good Time, call ...

Here is my current list of botcast buddies. Posts will be updated once a day.

Directions call:

1 800 289 5570

and then dial the access digits, according to who you want to hear.


Rebotcast Reads Ben Metcalfe Blog / (999) 142-0000
Rebotcast Reads Joi Ito's Web / (999) 125-1999
Rebotcast Reads Doc Searls Weblog / (999) 125-1998
Rebotcast Reads Joho the Blog / (999) 125-1997
Rebotcast Reads Ernie the Attorney / (999) 125-1996
Rebotcast Reads Rexblog / (999) 125-1995
Rebotcast Reads Oreilly Radar / (999) 125-1992
Rebotcast Reads Niall Kennedy's Weblog / (999) 125-1991
Rebotcast Reads ReadWrite Web / (999) 125-1994

This site is under construction. Consider it a first draft of the Audionet.

Happy New Year

2006 New Year's Resolution: Deliver Washington Post to a cell phone.
You heard it here first.

Just in Time for Xmas

A first cut at a rebotcast of a Creative Commons economics textbook:
Internet Archive: Details: Introduction to Economic Analysis

For that someone special on your list.

Note to self: Come up with strategy for robot reading complex mathematical formulas.

Test of Blogging with Performancing

Ben Metcalfe has a new podcast, called Talking Shop , and I'm subscribed.