This week on Digital Life, has Oprah killed the local TV business? Who is attending college on iTunes for free? Is YouTube video quality better than cable, and is Google Chrome a Windows 7 killer? I’ll talk with Charlie Collier, president and general manager of AMC about Mad Men and I discuss the AFLAC Duck with advertising guru Linda Kaplan Thaler. Plus, I’ll talk cloud storage with John Abell, Wired.com’s NY Bureau Chief. We have some great Google tips, stuff you need to know about buying an HDTV and I’ll take a hard look at Verizon’s Droid as I help you get a handle on your Digital Life

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

This week on Digital Life I did a segment about Digital Job Hunting. I was surprised by the amount of viewer mail asking for a printed version. Here it is.

In today’s super-competitive job market, having a well formatted, easy to read resume is an absolute requirement. Most HR experts agree that you also need a concise, on-point cover letter to give you the best chance for success.

Before your life became digital, you would go to the stationary store and buy very good paper so that your resume and cover letter would look great. Then, you would transport them in a large envelope so that you would not have to fold them. You should still do all of this for an in-person meeting, but if you are applying for a position via email, here’s how to get the best results.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

When people ask me who was the inspiration to start NY:MIEG (now SobelMedia Events) the name Joel Ordesky comes to mind.  Joel is the CTO for Wexler Video in Burbank, CA. Wexler rents production and post production equipment to the film and television industry. In addition Joel and runs an awesome group in the Los Angeles area call ExecTec (www.exectec.us). Joel posted the following to his blog that included a quote from another good friend, the lovely Marty Meyer. If you happen to be in the LA area check it out!

Tuesday October 27th at 7:30pm

“The State of Media”

Join us for this topic!

ExecTec member Marty Meyer wrote the following in her email blast this AM:

Sometimes I read too much. Or, maybe it’s just the wrong stuff. It’s like watching a car wreck. It’s just hard not to look at the carnage on the side of the road.

This morning I saw an article in Advertising Age that reported that the nation’s top media companies only managed to eke out a .08% revenue growth in 2008 AND that in the first half of 2009 revenue fell 4.3% as compared to last year. See the carnage?

This article claims that this is the first decline since they began ranking media firms in 1981, which, coincidentally, is the fashion decade that we are reliving this year. How do you feel about Dynasty and big shoulders?

Eleven of last year’s “Media 100″ firms are now in re-org or bankruptcy. Print media failures dominated the list (my husband is reading everything on his Kindle). The venerable Gourmet magazine is shutting its doors. We’ll have to read People at the check-stand now.

Top performers are cable network and satellite TV. Comcast seems to be the big winner here, displacing Time Warner as the largest media company, a spot that they held since 1995. If that sounds like good news, wait just a sec. Primetime viewership of ad supported cable networks is basically flat, as compared to last year. Does nobody watch TV anymore?

What really bothers me is that all this means that there are fewer ad dollars being spent which means less/cheaper content being produced which means less work which means less consumer spending and more handwringing. I’m chaffed.

So it would seem that while content is king, content creation is becoming a looser’s business.

Perhaps there is just to much content and while ever expanding resources is said to be good for a capitalistic economy, limitless content is harming the media business.

Some say this is all about how one monetizes the content but more and more as Marty points out the tried and true media firms are discovering that what worked in the past is not working now.

Shelly Palmer in a post last week pointed out that a recent debate between Steven Brill, Cofounder, Journalism Online and Vivian Schiller, CEO of NPR at the Paley Center for Media was a kin to listening to two people on the Titanic argue about the music the band was playing while they were loading the lifeboats.

As Shelly points out there are only three business models: I pay, you pay or someone else pays. Now of course there are a lot of different ways to pay and be paid but perhaps one of the keys to not being a victim in the media business is to figure out not only what the audience wants but how they are willing to pay for it.

So come join us for a discussion of what is working and not working in the media business.

As always, there is no better way to meet and connect with other executives then over dinner and conversation. $21 in advance via PayPal or $25 at the event gets you a full dinner, drink and the best networking around.

RSVP Today!

To visit Executive Networking & Technology Group ExecTec of LA, go here:

http://www.exectec.us/

On February 10, 2009 in New York City Jeff Pulver is producing a one day summit where he will explore the state of “Social Communications”, where things are headed in the future and where the money is today and will be tomorrow.

While “Social Media” may be the buzz term for 2009, Jeff is focusing on what happens to the way we communicate as the popularity in social networks continue to grow and affect the way we work and the way we live.

We are living in a time where our phones have become social communication devices, and where presence is the new dialtone The evolution of presence has huge implications for a number of industries, including: advertising, media and telecom.

The summit will include a number of panel discussions and individual talks where which cover topics across Media / Internet / Communications / Entertainment, something Jeff Pulver calls the “MICE” space.

Some of the panel discussions include:

- “Exploring the effects of Social Media on the future of Communications”
- “SoMo: A look at the future of Social Mobile Industry”
- “Advertising & Social Communications: Demonstrating value to Big Advertisers”
- “Will Law and Policy Kill the Social Communications Revolution Before It Starts?”
- “Being a Mom in the Digital Social Evolution”
- “Social Gaming: Today and in the Future”
- ” Social Media & Multiple Personality Disorder”

Speakers include:

- Alon Cohen, co-founder, Vocaltec; Executive Vice President, CTO, Phone.com.
- Steve Greenberg CEO and Founder, S-Curve records and Chairman of Nabbr.
- Peter Hirschberg, co-founder + Chairman,The Conversation Group
- Jeff Jarvis, Associate Professor and Director of the Interactive Journalism program at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.
- David Kirkpatrick, Senior Editor, Fortune Magazine
- Kenny Miller, EVP, MTV Networks Global Digital Media.
- Shelly Palmer, Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group
- Jeff Pulver, founder, pulver.com
- Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV
- Fred Wilson, Partner, Union Square Ventures

Updates on all the speaker speakers and the enter event program can be found on the SocComm website at: http://www.SocComm.com

Media Sponsor: TechCrunch
Event Sponsors: ZiXi | Vivox | Phone.com

To REGISTER, visit: http://www.amiando.com/soccomm.html – The cost is US$ 495 for the event and US$ 695 for special VIP Registration. VIP Registration includes access to SocComm as well an invitation only dinner on February 9th and a special VIP lunch on February 10th. There are just a limited number of VIP seats.

Save $50 TODAY and use the special priority code: NYMIEG

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Interesting article from our buddy Shelly Palmer

Last week, the Senate passed a bill delaying the nationwide shut-off of analog television transmitters until June 12, 2009. Then … the next day, the House defeated it. Then, because he could, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) revised the bill and got the Senate to pass it again and now, it’s on its way back to the House for another vote this coming week. Wow, you really can’t make this stuff up.

In homage to this fiasco, I am offering up a piece that I wrote about the transition in October 2007. It contains information that, due to current events, is newly relevant.

There are either, 15 or 130 days until the transition to all digital television. Your guess is a good as mine.

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FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

As I listened to President-elect Obama’s speech the other day, I was tickled that he chose this moment to promote my upcoming book, Get Digital: Reinventing yourself and your career for the 21st Century Economy (2009, Lake House Press). Actually, he wasn’t promoting my book, he was articulating some of his thoughts about how digital infrastructure (among other things) is a central focus of his economic stimulus package and his vision of a 21st century economy. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that he is seriously considering bowing to special interest (and political) pressure and delaying the February 17, 2009 switch-off of analog television – one of the fundamental building blocks of the technological future he envisions. On some level, a delay makes sense. He is facing the biggest economic crisis we’ve ever seen and there is a very real threat of a protracted war in the Middle East. This probably isn’t the time to take the risk of not being able to reach 8ish million antenna-only television households. On the other hand, there will never be a “good” time to force people to make a change. At this point, any date they pick will be arbitrary.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Shelly Palmer

Part of the success of NY:MIEG is two simple words: Shelly Palmer.

When I first had the idea to launch NY:MIEG I wanted to combine the best elements of networking, information/education and an enjoyable pleasant event. And our first breakfast, in June 2006, featured Shelly Palmer

Since that time Shelly has been a fan, a friend and supporter. I ran into Shelly this afternoon and he told me about a new program he is launching entitled “UPSIZING: Reinventing Yourself and Your Career for the New Digital Economy” Free for TV Academy Members. If you are interested in joining NATAS and/or attending this class please feel free to contact me.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY in cooperation with Shelly Palmer’s
Continuing Professional Education Series present:

UPSIZING: Reinventing Yourself and Your Career for the New Digital Economy
A four hour course that will help you make more money, taught by Shelly Palmer

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE:
People of all ages who are interested in learning how to make more money in the digital age.
If you are thinking of starting your own business, working from home, becoming a consultant or
just defending and keeping your job in this new, highly competitive digital world, you should take this course.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:

* Do you have the digital skills to get a better job?
* What will happen if you are downsized?
* Can you compete with digital natives?
* Are you ready to get one of the 5 million new jobs in the new economy?

Shelly Palmer’s seminars are the fastest way to learn:

DIGITAL LIFE AND BUSINESS SKILLS:

* Use Social Networks to build your personal brand.
* Partner and network your way to success.
* Build a personal business plan.

SOFTWARE SKILLS:

* What applications do you really need to run your personal life and your small business?
* Create your own websites, blogs, video blogs and podcasts.
* Harness the power of your digital calendar, email and contact management software.

HARDWARE SKILLS:

* Mac or PC?
* BlackBerry or iPhone?
* Scanners, printers and more.

PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE:
You should have a basic knowledge of personal computers, email, web-surfing and search.
You should own a laptop computer and bring it with you.

HOURS FOR THE COURSE:
The course will be taught over two evenings, December 1st and 2nd, from 6:30-8:30 PM at the
NY NATAS Office: 1375 Broadway between 37th and 38th Streets, 21st floor, Suite 2103, New York, NY.

REGISTRATION:
Admission is free. Seats are extremely limited. If you cannot attend both evenings, please do not register.
You must be a member (in good standing) of NY/NATAS to attend. To confirm your seat,
send an email to info@nyemmys.org

ABOUT SHELLY PALMER:
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily news show featuring news you can use
about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC
and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press).
Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York (the organization
that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards).

“At Shelly’s course, I learned what I needed to do to effectively compete with all the new 20-somethings my
company has hired to replace us. Not only do I still have a job … I got a raise.” — Larry R., Queens, NY

“The most important workshop I’ve ever attended. Shelly is a great teacher!” — Janet T., New York, NY

“I didn’t really understand how to use my computer or anything about digital until I took this course.” — Jeff K., Boca Raton, FL

“Now I’m not afraid to log on to LinkedIn or any social networks, I know what they are, how to use them and,
most importantly, how they can help me make more money!” — Robert F., Hartford, CT

I owe alot to Shelly Palmer. Not only has he been a good friend, colleague, our first NY:MIEG speaker (ever!)  and advisor for many years but his MediaBytes has become a regular stop for information about everything media. In this mornings report Shelly talked about the notion of “Cloud Computing” and it got me to thinking…I sort of know what it is, have heard the term for the past few years but now it seems to be popping up everywhere. And now that the Grand High Exhalted Mystic Ruler of All Things Media is pontificating about it I decided its time to do a bit of reading myself…basically look for the simplest and most understandable definition of the term “Cloud Computing”

After 15-20 minutes of search, looking at everything from PCMagazine, to “Cloud Computing for Dummies,” to “Askville” I finally decided to consult my buddy David Pogue from an article he wrote back in July of this year.

State of the Art
In Sync to Pierce the Cloud
By DAVID POGUE

“Cloud computing” is a white-hot buzzword these days. It basically means working with files and programs that reside on the Internet, beyond your company’s walls – out there in the “cloud.”

Everyday consumers are doing cloud computing, too, maybe without even realizing it. When you use an Internet-based backup service, or Google’s online word processor or spreadsheet, or a Gmail or Yahoo mail account, you’re working with data on a secure Internet server somewhere – not on your hard drive.

Apple is the latest company to find a silver lining in the cloud. Its new MobileMe service ($100 a year) is an overhaul of a suite of Internet features that used to be called .Mac.

Over the years, two million people signed up for .Mac, according to Apple, even though it was a sort of motley, unfocused service.

MobileMe, however, has a much clearer mission that solves a much clearer problem. It’s meant to keep the e-mail, calendars, address books and Web bookmarks on all of your computers – Macs, Windows PCs, iPhones and iPod Touches – synchronized in real time.

It works by storing the master copy of all this information in the cloud. Whenever your machines are online, they connect to the mother ship and update themselves. When you edit an address on your iPhone, you’ll find the same change in Address Book (on your Mac) and Outlook (on your PC). If you send an e-mail reply from your PC at the office, you’ll find it in your Sent Mail folder on the Mac at home.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY BY DAVID POGUE CLICK HERE