My son, Joseph, introduced me to Vintage Beef (and all the guys on the Mindcrack server) earlier this year. I started watching “Beef’s” Minecraft videos but quickly became interested in his “Let’s Play” series for Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption. Each episode is like watching a little movie that happens to play out within a video game. Daniel’s (his real name) commentary is funny and adds to the gameplay rather than distracting from it. His videos have quickly become daily viewing here in the WelchWrite headquarters.
I met Frieda back in the days of the old Seesmic Video Conferencing service. We were both pretty active and often found ourselves in discussions throughout the day. Frieda is also an avid gardener and regularly posts to here YouTube Channel. As with all the posts i the Subscribed series, I am subscribed to her on YouTube and regularly watch her videos. We are both in the Southern California area and that helps, too, as we are experiencing similar climate and conditions.
Today on “Subscribed” I focus on another blog. My blog subscriptions are my lifeline to the world and have easily taken the place of all the print magazines I used to read each week. — Douglas
Looking through my Google Reader stats, it looks like TUAW is one of my most favorited subscriptions. Even when I don’t have time to write an entire blog post on a topic, I can favorite it in Reader and it will automatically be Twittered out, posted to my Facebook page and stored away for future reference and inclusion in my month-end “My Favorite Things” posts.
TUAW is my go-to site for Apple information of all sorts. I am a Mac user myself, so much of this information is put to immediate use, but a large part of my clientele is also Mac-based, so when an important update, bug or announcement goes out, I am sure to hear about it quickly and thoroughly via TUAW.
Like many of the blogs I mention here, TUAW also has a companion YouTube channel.
Starting today on “Subscribed” I am going to begin highlighting some of the blogs and web sites where I am subscribed. These subscriptions are my lifeline to the world and have easily taken the place of all the print magazines I used to read each week.
The first blog to highlight is Engadget, a large web site and part of the AOL Tech brand. While I usually subscribe to smaller blogs, for tech news and information I have many of the larger blogs in my list, too. Mainly this is due to the fact that they have the budget and time to cover the wide field of technology and give an overview of what is happening there.
Looking over my Google Reader stats, I find that I regularly “star” items from Engadget and often use them as jumping off points for my own blog posts. Any site that regularly provides good information and makes me think is going to find a place in my subscriptions list.
If you are like me, sometimes you just want to be learning something. I am a science buff, so when I stumbled across Minute Physics on YouTube, I immediately subscribed.
These great, short, videos on all sorts of scientific topics impart some great information very quickly. Sometimes you don’t need the deep understanding of a graduate level course in physics. Sometimes you just want a grounding in a concept so you can see how it applies to everyday life. This is exactly what Minute Physics provides.
Whatever your religion, you probably have some traditions that center on the Winter Holidays — whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice or just seeing it as a time for celebration for being “halfway out of the dark!” One of our traditions has a New Media twist to it.
Grant’s experience with the Dr. Floyd podcast led him to podcasting one of his Christmas traditions. Each year his parents would fill an Advent Calendar with trinkets and he would open one door a day, much like many other kids. Grant’s grown up now, but he still brings his “childlike excitement” and silliness to the Advent Calendar each year.
Grant produces a video a day from December 1-25 where he opens the appropriate door on the advent calendar and shares its contents with us. But he also does more — so much more! Each video contains a skit, a parody, a musical number, an on-location opening — you never know quite what to expect each day — which is exactly what an Advent Calendar is all about.
When my son first got involved with the game Minecraft, and got me interested as well, he quickly recommended a video series to help me make it through my first night in Minecraft. Paul Soares, Jr’s series, “How to Survive and Thrive in Minecraft” is a fun, informative and light-hearted look at how to make Minecraft even more fun.
Soares also does many more Minecraft gaming series as well as play-throughs of other big names in the gaming world, including Skyrim. If you are the least bit interested in Minecraft, i highly recommend Paul’s channel for a great combination of learning and fun!
You can also visit Paul’s web site, Punchwood.com for even more info and discussion.
I have been watching Eric Rochow and GardenforkTV for a long time. He first caught my eye with some excellent videos on all sorts of gardening and food topics and more recently he has expanded to Gardenfork Radio — a long form talk and interview audio podcast that is perfect for listening in the car.
Gardenfork is a fairly eclectic channel and podcast, covering everything from Eric’s boisterous Labradors to who to make the perfect mashed potatoes to building raised beds to beekeeping. Eric has an infectious, unassuming manner which makes you feel like you would love to have him for a neighbor in the country. The show splits its time between his and his wife’s (the “camera operator”) apartment in Brooklyn and their farm in rural Connecticut.
A bit of semi-self-promotion this week on Subscribed. Today’s featured YouTube Channel is from CareerCamp International. CareerCamps are a series of free, career unconferences organized by local communities and sponsored by local businesses. Back in July 2012 we held our 7th CareerCamp in Santa Clarita, California.
The CareerCamp International YouTube Channel is where we post videos recorded at the various CareerCamp events. Currently there are 15 different videos for you to investigate. Check out the titles to see which one’s you might be interested in watching. You’ll find a couple of videos from me in the mix there, too.
Here is a talk from CareerCampLA co-chair, Jennifer Oliver O’Connell. Check out all the videos on the CareerCamp International YouTube Channel.
What are some of your favorite YouTube Subscriptions? Share them here i the comments!
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame are joined by Will Smith and Norman Chan for coverage of “…anything that’s awesome!” Shows range from tips and hints to visits to Adam’s Man Cave and Jamie’s Warehouse for talk about movie props, welding and more. Additional shows cover uses for the MakerBot, a 3-D printer, product reviews and more.
Tested.com is another great hangout for geeks on the Internet. Check it out!
SO, WHAT KIND OF STUFF CAN I READ ABOUT ON TESTED?
The short, pithy answer is: We’ll cover anything that’s awesome. The longer answer is that we have many interests, ranging from breakthroughs in science, amazing tales of exploration, and discoveries in nature to emerging technologies and new consumer products that promise to change our everyday lives. Tested is the place where we’ll explore those topics in depth, asking the hows and the whys about the things that excite us the most.
The number one rule of Tested is simple. We want to make Tested the site that we’d be most interested in reading. If you think there’s something we should be covering, but aren’t, please let us know!
A hilarious collection of cat cartoons. As a cat owner, it all seems a bit too close to the truth. Simon’s Cat causes trouble for everyone, including himself in these short black and white adventures. This is the channel I turn to when I need a little laughter in my day.
There are also Simon’s Cat books with large collections of comics based on the character.
I have a LOT of interests and science has always been one of them. Of course, this means that I am always tuned in to what is happening at NASA and other scientific organizations. I even have a friend who works at JPL who helps to keep me informed.
You can keep in touch with the many scientific projects and discoveries at NASA, too, by subscribing to their YouTube channel. Below is a link to their latest video, detailing some of the first research targets of the Curiosity Rover. Subscribe now to hear about new discoveries as they are made.
I have been moving away from mainstream broadcast and cable programming for a while and switching over to watching a lot of stuff on YouTube. My son, Joseph, has switched almost entirely to YouTube Channels for his entertainment viewing.
I realized today that I should be highlighting some of the YouTube Channels I subscribe to for my daily entertainment (and educational viewing). This is the second post in this on-going series.
Far Lands or Bust is a series of Minecraft videos with a good cause. Like a virtual walkathon, Kurt is walking to the “Far Lands” of Minecraft and raising money for the Child’s Play charity. He has raised over $40K so far with his travels.
“An expedition to the fabled Minecraft Far Lands, without any mods or cheats, raising money for Child’s Play Charity along the way! Donate using the ChipIn widget on the homepage of farlandsorbust.com!
Here you’ll also find other Let’s Play videos featuring Kerbal Space Program, Driver: San Francisco, new indie games and astronomy software. Subscribe and come along for the journey!”
I have been moving away from mainstream broadcast and cable programming for a while and switching over to watching a lot of stuff on YouTube. My son, Joseph, has switched almost entirely to YouTube Channels for his entertainment viewing.
I realized today that I should be highlighting some of the YouTube Channels I subscribe to for my daily entertainment (and educational viewing).
Today’s new subscription is the PBS Idea Channel. This is a great collection of education and entertaining video on a variety of topics. I found the channel when I came across a blog post linking to their show on Minecraft, Makerbot and the Post Scarcity Economy.
Below you will find a link to a playlist of all their videos. I highly recommend subscribing on YouTube so that you will be notified of each new video as it appears.
