I was part of a PodcastU Roundtable last night and the audio techies in the group sang the praises of this microphone for beginning podcasters. The ATR2100USB is an interesting hybrid of new and old. Beginning podcasters can use it as a USB mic, connecting it directly to their computer for recording, but the mic also functions as a traditional XLR mic for connecting to a mixing board. The other members of the Roundtable complimented it audio quality while also praising its ability to switch between standards.

The ATR2100 is a dynamic microphone, so if you are struggling with an environment with a bit of background noise, this might serve you better than a larger condenser mic like the Blue Snowball and Yeti I featured earlier in the gift guide.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

Over — Watch me LIVE on PodcastU now! Starting at 7pm PST/10pm EST

December 6, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Watch this space for a recorded version of this show in a few days! — Douglas

Richard Cleveland is having me as a guest on PodcastU this evening. Join us live!

Live video for mobile from Ustream

Learn about podcasting equipment and more!

2012 Gift Guide: Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone

December 5, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone 4/4s/5

If you use you iPhone for your New Media and Podcasting project, the Olloclip can give you more flexibility in the type of photos and video you shoot. This snap-on lens includes a Fish Eye, Wide Angle and Macro lens in one package. Simply clip it onto your iPhone and start shooting.

You can find example photos and video on the Olloclip web site.

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Here is someone to hire for your New Media projects! – Mat Luschek

December 4, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Mat “Langley” Luschek

New Media producer (and fellow Ohio transplant) Mat Luschek is looking for work and you would be lucky to have him. Mat was recently laid off from his position as Online Media Producer for NBC Bay Area in San Francisco and would like to find a New Media position in the Bay Area, Los Angeles Area, Seattle, WA or Portland, Oregon.

Mat is knowledgeable about the new media (and mainstream media) world and would be a great addition to any team looking to increase and improve their New Media presence. He is a writer, producer, host and also technically savvy in the New Media tools required for such a position. He is also an experienced and artistic photographer.

Combine these skills with his natural inventiveness and outgoing personality and you have someone who can address your New Media needs in many different ways.

Find out more about Mat via his LinkedIn profile and then drop him an email or give him a call. It could be the best thing you’ve done for your show, startup or established company in a long time!

2012 Gift Guide: RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

December 4, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

Over the years I have owned several RAM Mounts and I highly recommend them. I have had mounts for my old Garmin GPS, my iPhone 3G and my iPhone 4. These are both suction cup units which hold the phone to the windshield. I also have a mount on my bicycle which can also use the car mounting arm.

RAM has mounts for nearly any cell phone, GPS, iPad, computer and any situation including cars, motorcycles, bikes, boats, aviation, kayaks and much more. If you need to use your devices no matter where you might be, check out RAM Mounts.

New Media folks will find a wide selection of camera mounts from RAM for all their “action footage” needs. Timelapse photographers can also benefit from sturdy mounts that can be attached in less-than-hospitable places.

The RAM Mounts web site includes an online “RAM Mount Wizard” that can step you through assembling the appropriate mount for your device and situation.

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2012 Gift Guide: Behringer XENYX X1622USB Premium 16-Input 2/2-Bus Mixer

December 3, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Behringer XENYX X1622USB Premium 16-Input 2/2-Bus Mixer

Wow! This would be a significant upgrade from my current podcasting equipment, as I laid out in the first New Media Gear post yesterday. This seems to have everything I want in a mixer. First, it is USB connected, so it plugs right into my computer. Second, it has a ton of inputs for a variety of external devices and microphones. Finally, it has a built-in compressor so I wouldn’t need my current outboard compressor i.e. less STUPH on my desk. (LAUGH)

If you are looking for a new mixer — or know a podcaster who is — this could be a great upgrade for them.

I found out about this mixer from Richard Cleveland, a member of the Facebook Podcasting Community. I will be highlighting all of Richard’s podcasting gear in an upcoming New Media Gear post.

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New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

December 2, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the beginning of a new series here on Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange — New Media Gear. I started collecting information for this series by posting a question in the Facebook Podcasting Community Group — “What equipment to you use?” I know that I like to know what others are using — and finding useful — in their New Media work and ways that it might make my work a bit easier. Over the next several weeks I will highlight a podcaster in each post and let your know what equipment they find useful and provide links to where you can pick it up yourself. — Douglas

New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

I figured I might as well start out with my own equipment in this series, as old as it might be. As a wise person once said, “if it isn’t’ broke, don’t fix it!” My equipment works well for what I do and while I might be looking for an upgrade here and there, my gear is adequate for now.

If you have any questions about my equipment, please drop them in the comments.

You can hear and see this equipment at work in my podcasts My Word, A Gardener’s Notebook, Career Opportunities, Careers in New Media and TechnologyIQ at DouglasEWelch.com

New Media Equipment:

2012 Gift Guide: Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

December 2, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

These versatile, flexible tripods are in the kits of many photographers and new media creators. Using a tripod is one way to make all your photos and video look tremendously better, so it only makes since to take one with you when you go out to shoot. The GoriallaPod series has flexible legs that can be used like a traditional tripod, but also wrapped around other surfaces, like handrails, seatbacks and more to put your camera where you need it most.

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Subscribed 014: Frieda’s Garden

December 1, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Frieda’s Garden

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.

Join Frieda in her garden today!

Watch all of the videos in Frieda’s Garden on YouTube and subscribe yourself, too!

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

Previously highlighted on Subscribed:

2012 Gift Guide: Jump Start Your Brain by Doug Hall and David Wecker

December 1, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Jump Start Your Brain by Doug Hall and David Wecker

Looking for a great selection of tools to “Jump Start Your Brain?” This book is for you. It is full of great ideas on how to come up with…well…great ideas. The wide variety of tools here means that anyone should be able to find one that works well for them. We all think in different ways, so it only makes sense the we all need different tools. Jump Start Your Brain today and keep on changing the world with your great ideas!

From Amazon.com…

“Ideal for inspiring marketers, artists, teachers, and anyone who needs fresh ideas for work and home, Jump Start Your Brain helps readers crank up both their cranium and career. Featuring smart and creative methods for providing better leadership, igniting sales and marketing, and realizing dreams with breakthrough innovations, this book teaches time-tested practices that generate creativity and innovation. Relying on the latest research, the author pinpoints which methods and techniques work best in today’s high-stress world so readers can get a leg-up on the competition.”

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2012 Gift Guide: Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

November 30, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

Podcasters and other New Media folk spend long hours with headphones on, so quality and comfort are import. Fellow podcaster, Tee Morris, pointed these out in a recent Facebook thread on podcasting equipment. Tee is a novelist, co-writer of Podcasting for Dummies and a pioneer podcaster, so I tend to take his advice whenever it is given. I am looking for a new, decent set of headphones myself and these might fit the bill.

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2012 Gift Guide: Desktop Microphone Stands

November 29, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Desktop Microphone Stands

Most podcasters need some sort of desktop microphone stand for their work. Full-sized mic stands don’t work really well if you are recording at your desk, like I do. I highlighted some microphone boom arms earlier in the gift guide, but I wanted to link to a couple of desktop stands for those that are looking for a different setup.

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2012 Gift Guide : Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone

November 28, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone

I started a podcasting equipment discussion on the Facebook Podcast Community Group so that I could start highlighting people’s equipment choices here. This led to a couple of recommendations from my fellow podcasters.

Jack “BoomgoestheDynamite” Heikle gives a good recommendation for these Sterling Audio ST51 microphones as an inexpensive but good sounding microphone for podcasters.

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2012 Gift Guide: Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

November 27, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

With interests in both art and business, it seems only natural to combine them in my mind. “Art & Fear” addresses the all-to-common issues with creating art and I believe there are a lot of parallels to any career. Most art is about overcoming fear and it is the same with your career. You need to work through the fear in order to create something wonderful, not matter what you do.

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2012 Gift Guide: Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas

November 26, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas

Creativity is an important part of every podcast and new media project, so for the next few days I am going to focus on some of my favorite creativity books. Aha! is all about freeing up your thinking and allowing yourself to think and act creatively. Too often we restrict and confine our own thinking just when we need to be coming up with new, wild, crazy (and sometimes extremely useful) new ideas.

Creating a monthly, weekly or even daily podcast requires you to generate an amazing amount of raw ideas to insure you have enough topics, thoughts and content to fuel your show. Developing your creativity will be an important part of insuring your show continues for many years to come.

“Aha! is a joyful, upbeat survey of ideas for enhancing creativity. Jordan Ayan’s enthusiasm is hard to resist, and every reader will find personally suitable strategies. Aha! is an inspiring yet practical guidebook for freeing the creative spirit.” –Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

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2012 Gift Guide: Microphones from Giant Squid Audio Labs

November 25, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Microphones from Giant Squid Audio Labs

Small independent microphone manufacturer, Giant Squid Audio Labs is well known to most podcasters. They were one of the first companies to recognize the podcasting market and provide inexpensive, quality microphones to be used with a variety of equipment. Giant Squid specializes in small, lavaliere microphones used for recording interviews and off camera audio for your video productions.

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Subscribed 013: TUAW: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

November 24, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

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

TUAW: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

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.

Visit TUAW’s YouTube Channel

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

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2012 Gift Guide: Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan

November 24, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Podcast Solutions

Everything you need to know about podcasting, written by fellow LA Podcaster Dan Klass and podcast pioneer, Michael Geoghegan.

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2012 Gift Guide: Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

November 22, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

I purchased this camera back in July of 2011 in preparation for a a family trip to Sicily. I knew I had made the right choice when people started commenting on the first photos I posted to my blogs. While their are more capable — and more expensive — cameras you can buy, the balance of price vs. quality in the EP-1 is great. The optics and depth of field alone dramatically improve the quality of your photos above a typical point-and-shoot camera.

The Auto mode of the camera allows anyone to pick it up and use it, but with program modes, and even full manual, settings, you can begin to experiment with all the settings of the camera to take dramatic photos. I also use the camera to shoot video for my YouTube/Podcast series. It only shoots 720p video, not 1080p, but the superior optics make it the best 720p possible.

You can see many example of the photos I have taken with the camera — and videos, too — by checking out any of my blogs at DouglasEWelch.com.

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2012 Gift Guide: Books by Douglas E. Welch

November 21, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Book by Douglas E. Welch

I humbly present my own Kindle eBooks as today’s addition to the 2012 Gift Guide. I hope that you find them interesting gift possibilities for your friends, family and, maybe even, yourself.

My books run the gamut from social media to careers and now, to gardening. You don’t need a Kindle to read these eBooks, as Kindle books are readable on nearly any computer, tablet or smartphone platform and even in your web browser. You can download a sample of each book for free and Amazon Prime members can “borrow” the entire book for free as part of their membership.

For more information on Kindle books, you can watch my short video “No Kindle Required to read Kindle Books” on YouTube.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

Careers in New Media

Helping to Build New Careers in New Media

2012 Gift Guide: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

Over — Watch me LIVE on PodcastU now! Starting at 7pm PST/10pm EST

2012 Gift Guide: Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone

Here is someone to hire for your New Media projects! – Mat Luschek

2012 Gift Guide: RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

2012 Gift Guide: Behringer XENYX X1622USB Premium 16-Input 2/2-Bus Mixer

New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

2012 Gift Guide: Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

Subscribed 014: Frieda’s Garden

2012 Gift Guide: Jump Start Your Brain by Doug Hall and David Wecker

2012 Gift Guide: Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

2012 Gift Guide: Desktop Microphone Stands

2012 Gift Guide : Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone

2012 Gift Guide: Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

2012 Gift Guide: Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas

2012 Gift Guide: Microphones from Giant Squid Audio Labs

Subscribed 013: TUAW: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

2012 Gift Guide: Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan

2012 Gift Guide: Books by Douglas E. Welch