Castlock | Croncast - From Cool to Cul De Sac

Kris Smith - New Media Expert For Hire

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:16:39 -0600

Time to plug myself like I have no shame!

Thus, in the true spirit of being shameless, I will create this unabashed self-promoting bit of text to tell you about the Kris Smith that many of you don't know.

Planet earth had just escaped the Y2k bug so we bought our first computer since they didn't destroy the world they must be okay. So in early 2000 I taught myself how to use Wavelab to edit audio and later that same year I took my first programming class to learn HTML. The rest is history, as they say in the biz.

In the last seven years, I've accomplished more things in digital media and web development than I could have ever anticipated:

1. Developed and coded the first version of Castlock a New Media and metrics platform
2. Founded the world's first company dedicated to podcast production
3. Worked with and produced for Fortune 500 companies
4. Spoken at conferences and universities across the United States about RSS, New Media and podcasting
5. Developed moderated media RSS feeds (mmRSS) for episodic and archived content delivery via RSS
6. Gained a network of professional colleagues across the globe
7. Interviewed celebrities and professional athletes
8. Became certified in DVD authoring software used for major motion pictures

If you have the hankering to check out my full repertoire and could use a self-starter with innovative skills, you can visit my Linkedin page, download my resume or search "Kris Smith" in your favorite search engine.

Tags: RSS guru Podcasting professional PHP Castlock New Media expert RSS expert

I hope this clears things up a bit

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:50:29 -0500

Hey guys, I wanted to clear up something that some of you might have been thinking about my exit from Room 214 because of my explanation. My intention was not to be vague but with any new direction in business partnerships you make agreements.

I was not *__insert your verb for no longer employed by here__* from Room 214. I left on my own.

After many long discussions with my partners, and friends, we agreed that it was in the best interest of the Room 214 that we make an arrangement, this arrangement, to move forward with development of Castlock and allow Room 214 greater flexibility.

What is Castlock? It is the software that I wrote in 2006 and have recently guided development of to release version 2.5 with many new features. You can take a look at Castlock.com.

In my return to Palegroove and the workforce in general, I am in good relations with my partners as we continue to do business together as co-owners of RSSready.

Which is more than I can say for most partnerships that I have experienced and many that you, yourself, might have been involved in. Believe me, I have heard the horror stories and lived my own.

This is a really exciting time. However, I'd be lying if I didn't also say a bit scary. But what would life be without change? Hmmmmmm . . . sort of like living in Naperville?

Tags: Castlock Kris Smith RSSready RSSignite Episodr

Stepping out of Room 214 into the hallway

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:49:34 -0500

In January of this year I took the position, VP, New Media with Room 214, an internet and search engine marketing company. I brought with me Castlock, the podcasting and rss metrics platform that I developed in early 2006.

This was an exciting opportunity. I had built a solid relationship with the founders of the company over the previous year working closely with them to produce podcasting and new media campaigns for the Alltel Racing podcast (NASCAR driver Ryan Newman), four podcasts for NFL Pro Bowl players during 2006 season and many other client podcasts; all the while holding a position as Associate Director, e-Learning for another company. Many of you might remember us talking about this last January.

The last ten months working for Room 214 have been great, but the time has come for all of us to move on.

What will I do now?

I'm not sure. But I do have quite a few options . . . probably more than I realize. There are a couple that leading the pack right now.

My first option is to make sure my resume is up to the task of assisting me gain new full-time employment. It is pretty amazing how over the last three years podcasting and rss have transitioned to "new media" and are being welcomed into the corporate structure. All that bickering about every company being a media company seems to be coming true!

My second option is to put more energy into my podcast production company, Palegroove Studios, and get back in the saddle for podcast production, consulting and licensing of Castlock. When I started with Room 214 I put it on the back burner since I was doing the same work as my "day job".

My third option, and least viable as a solution, is to go all out Croncast. I would love nothing more than to be doing the show full time and bring video into the mix but this doesn't seem to be the right time.

That's it, that is what's been up around here.

Like any time of transition this is an interesting and exciting time. I am already wondering which path I will end up going down and where the choice(s) that I make will lead my family next.

If you've got any thoughts send them to me from the contact page, email kris[at]croncast.com or send them the old fashioned way and give me a call on my GrandCentral line (thanks Rick!) at 630.445.1719.

Update: I should have added this the first time around (it was in the show notes from Monday!)

Feel freed to check out my Linkedin Profile

Tags: Kris Smith Room 214 VP, New Media Palegroove Castlock

quiet around here - via twitter

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:10:21 -0500
work is killing me. we have a ton of stuff going on. couple growth and new visions you get culture stew.

Tags: castlock rss seo

Kris Smith - New Media, RSS and Podcast Expert

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:43:14 -0500

Kristopher Smith
http://linkedin.com/in/ksmith
Naperville, IL 60565 (630) 445-1719 ● kris[at]palegroove.com

Career Objective

A leadership position with a company interested in benefiting from the opportunities presented by leading edge new media technologies where a commitment to innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit is recognized and rewarded.

Qualifications Summary:

Accomplished entrepreneur and strategist with a demonstrated history of success integrating new media technologies into existing platforms and campaigns for Fortune 500 companies.
Combined expertise in RSS and podcast development with an extended network of relationships with independent, corporate and mainstream media.
Developed and licensed Castlock, a robust new media management and RSS metrics platform that enables users to manage large libraries of content and maintain statistics privately.

Professional Experience

Room 214, Boulder, Colorado ● 1/2007-11/2007

Vice President, New Media

Leadership force for product development within an organization that integrates new media, public relations efforts, web marketing methodologies and technologies under cohesive systems that drive measurable calls to action via the Internet. Company services were solicited from some of the most recognized PR firms and creative agencies to positively impact corporate sales, brand awareness and communications.

Major Contributions:

Developed moderated media RSS feeds (mmRSS) for episodic and archived content delivery via RSS

Orchestrated product development and integration of emerging technologies such as Twitter and other social media API's into Castlock, a robust new media management and RSS metrics platform

Created and delivered new products from the Castlock code base, RSSignite and Episodr

Spearheaded integration of new media including podcasting and RSS into new client product offerings and marketing campaigns

Invigorated existing client marketing campaigns with new media elements

Directed digital media production from concept to final deliverable

Initiated research and development for RSS strategies and effective RSS search engine optimization

Served as company spokesperson at industry and new media events around the country

Career Note: As a representative of Room 214 and respected authority in the new media field I delivered the following presentations:

Podcast & New Media Expo (Sept. 2007) Ontario, CA."Compression Killed the Video Star"

PodCamp NYC (Apr. 2007) New York, New York. Panel "Podcast Open Metrics Initiative."

eLearning 2007 (Mar. 2007) Chicago, IL. "Using RSS Feeds, Podcasts to Deliver Distance Education"

Podcast Academy 5 (Feb. 2007) Duke University. "Understanding Authenticated & Personalized RSS Feeds"

Joint Commission Resources/Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois ● 5/2005-12/2006

Associate Director, eLearning

Promoted to direct eLearning digital product development for Joint Commission Resources. Led innovations in delivery of information required to comply with the accreditation standards of the Joint Commission on Accredited Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO accreditation and certification is the standard of excellence in health care organizations.

Major Contributions:

Identified opportunities for new revenue streams utilizing innovative content delivery systems

Evangelized blogging and podcast initiatives to integrate new media technologies within the enterprise

Directed a division to develop digital products and manage legacy products focusing on increasing sales

Engineered courseware implementation, software, coding and course development for field cadre and central office employees

Disseminated educational training information to 400 global field staff via a custom RSS application

Palegroove Studios, Naperville, Illinois ● 2/2005-Present

Founder/CEO

Pioneered the start-up and development of the world's first podcast production company. Advised Fortune 500 clients on utilizing this medium to extend their brands. Developed podcasts from conception to deliverables which includes consulting with client on: show content, format, script writing, transcripts and creation of royalty free musical intros,outros and sweepers. Developed and licensed Castlock, a robust new media management and RSS metrics platform. Produced over 700 podcasts since 2005.

Podcasts Produced:

MasterCard, The Home Depot, Abbot Laboratories (2007)

Nascar Alltel Racing Podcast (2006 & 2007) produced podcasts in conjunction with XM Satellite Radio

NFL Alltel My Circle Podcast (2006 season) produced with nationally recognized radio talent from official team media outlets

Nascar Coors Light Racing Podcast for Coors Light (2006)

Fab 5 Summer '05 Podcasts produced for MTV Networks Affiliate Marketing (2005)

Developed and independently produced Croncast (2004-Present) delivered 3 times a week since November of 2004 and recognized by a number of media outlets including: The New York Times, Detroit Free Press, FOX News, and NBC (Chicago)

Career Note: As a successful entrepreneur and recognized expert in the podcast industry I delivered the following presentations:

PodCamp West (Nov. 2006) San Francisco, CA. Keynote panel "The Future of New Media"

Portable Media Expo (Sep. 2006) Ontario, CA. "Leveraging Your Knowledge as a Podcasting Consultant"

Podcast Academy 4 (Sep. 2006) Ontario, CA. "Web Design for Corporate Podcasting"

Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Illinois ● 5/2000-5/2005

Distance Learning Technical Support Specialist

Trained and supported university and college faculty throughout Illinois on the integration of technology into the classroom as part of ILLCO, a state funded initiative

Designed and developed all graphics, wrote code, recorded, edited and encoded all audio for a Flash virtual tour of the college campus for use online, CD-ROM and hybrid DVD

Recognized as innovator within organization promoted four times in five years

Languages

PHP, MySQL, RSS, XML, HTML

Audio/Video

Sound Forge, Acid Pro, WaveLab, Vegas, Waves, Fruity Loops

Blogware/Podcasting

Castlock and WordPress

Design/Interactive

Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator

Courseware

WebCT, aTutor, Scenario Studio, and HorizonLive

Education

BFA Visual Communication with an emphasis in Digital Design 2005

American InterContinental University, Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Associates of Arts Degree December 2000

Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Illinois

August 1993 - December 1994

Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

Tags: RSS guru Podcasting professional PHP Castlock New Media expert RSS expert

Croncast now for iPhoners

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:31:39 -0500
iPhone users rejoice, Croncast download links now stream to your iPhone.

I set this up a few weeks ago with some code that I lifted from the development of Castlock 3.0. Thanks to Stepan for editing the download script to make it work. All I needed to do was retrofit the script to my Frankenstein version of Castlock.

For those of you that might have tried to get the shows on your iPhone a few weeks ago and it didn't work, you are in business, as we say in the biz. The problem was redirects, Safari on the iPhone requires a direct path to the media, both audio and video. Go figure.

Tags: iPhone browser redirects direct path Stepan Mazurov iPhone streaming Croncast iPhone

Twitter meet Castlock, Castlock meet Twitter

Tue, 08 May 2007 08:48:17 -0500
Yesterday was a crazy day so I didn't get to make a post about hacking together a script to dump my twitter posts into castlock (the underpinnings of this site).

The entire reason for doing it was to have the ability to blog on the run from my phone by sending a text message to twitter and getting it into the blog without having to open the castlock control panel.

The fun part was thinking up a format for the tweets that when the script reads them it can distinguish between a tweet for blog and a tweet for tweets sake. The format looks like this:

title*blog body for post.*keyword1-keyword2-keyword3

The php script splits the tweet at the *'s and then at the -'s to format it for the castlock insert.

There were a couple small bugs that took a while to iron out. The first was that the timestamp from twitter is 5 hours ahead of my servers time zone (not very conducive to keeping posts in order) and getting the cron to run right on the script.

But it's all good now and every 5 minutes the script runs looking for little tweets to put in it the Croncast belly.

Tags: tweet twitter integration castlock Croncast twitter keywords for seo

Betsy and her husband Kris May 07, 2007

Mon, 07 May 2007 08:28:32 -0500
Croncast - 2007-05-07.mp3
Show: #359
Length: 26:58
Size: 18.5mb
Format: mp3
Betsy and her husband Kris May 07, 2007

Join Croncast Cronies . . . thanks to all those signed up already!.

Croncast is now Twitterified
Betsy wants to add it to her Resale Queen blog
She's afraid of blogging
Mother's Day is coming
Betsy has her own present lined up
If that doesn't work out she wants time . . . alone
Betsy is leaving the house on Mother's Day weekend
You're the only one for me
Avoiding holidays is our schtick
Maybe it is time for a divorce
The Build a Bear box tagline . . . "Where best friends are made."
That should be the tagline for the Bunny Ranch show on HBO
The Moonlight Bunny Ranch show . . . I can't even watch the preview
Strippers who couldn't jiggle their hips end up on the ranch
They are nasty, women who give boobs a bad name
I am not going to argue with my husband about why prostitutes are valued people
I am glad that you don't like prostitutes Kris
They need the tagline to help tell their story
Currently there is no story other than what you see . . . johns and hos
You're dad has been on Montell and I have met Geraldo, we're holding it down
Betsy has no judgment for the ladies
I want the story
Kris! I'm guessing some rape, beating, some low self-esteem
From hookers to kids
Elliot is cracking us up
Dad you need to be 18 to oder it . . . can you call for me
Aqua dots are made from chemicals, bro. They will kill your sister
Kris says no way to going to help the stray dog
Betsy takes much offense
If it will happen to anyone it will happen to Kris
I schlepped from McMansion to McMansion all weekend
The kids are slowing me down
I tricked you Mr B and got you in the car to garage sale
Yep, I was with you but I didn't get out of the car

We are going to do a live show here in Naperville . . . hopefully in July. We'd like to get about 40 people to come out so we can have the joint for about 2 hours. That means you need to get your friends to come out too. Let us know if you can swing it.

Audience Survey, please fill this out for us
Look for the graphic on "Audience Survey" on the main page

Tags: Resale Queen castlock and twitter Buidl a Bear box Moonlight Bunny Ranch Geraldo

Sorry for the late shows

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 10:09:23 -0500
Hey guys, just want to apologize for the show timing lately. That couple hours can make a difference if you have developed a routine. Like this morning I had other work that needed to be done before I could put the show up.

I need to get back into the groove. I will be getting the shows up earlier in the morning like they used to be so that you can start your MWF right.

Tags: Croncast Palegroove Studios Castlock late shows into the groove

Speaking today in Chicago

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:14:09 -0500
Thought I would throw in a post for today's fun! I'm speaking at eLearning 2007 here in Chicago later today. My presentation, "Using RSS Feeds, Podcasts to Deliver Distance Education" is focused on a case study of the first Castlock licensee. You can download the slides from my work blog.

So there was no real travel just a $40 parking tab from the hotel.

Which appears to mean $10 for every diamond that a hotel claims. Maybe someday I'll actually stay at a diamond rated hotel and test that theory.

Tags: eLearning2007 RSS for education eLearning 2007 Chicago Podcasting for educators syndicated for education

Ron asks, 'What Equipment Do You Use?'

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 13:27:57 -0600
It's been a while since I talked about the equipment that I use and no time seems better than now thanks to this question:
"Can you tell me what microphones and mixer you use to record Croncast? (I heard the "expensive" microphone show recently and I had to laugh--I'm more interested in two microphones that are in the $100-$125 price range [each]).
Thanks!," Ron
Here's what currently makes up my audio signal path, hardware and software for Croncast.

2 - Marshall MXL 2003 microphones (Ron, for an extra $25 you won't be disappointed) [link]
2 - Universal Audio 6176 channel strips w/ preamp and compressor [link]
1 - PreSonus Firepod [link]
1 - Sony VGC-RB62G computer [link]
1 - Sony Sound Forge 8 audio editor [link]
1 - Waves L2 Ultramaximizer mastering compressor [link]
1 - Sony Vegas 6 multitrack for putting show together [link]
1 - Xing MP3 encoder (included in Vegas) encoded to Joint Stereo, 96 Kbps at 44.1 KHz
1 - MP3 Tag Tools to edit ID3 tags [link]
1 - iTunes to add more meta-data specific to iTunes (I can explain way below this)

This is what takes a Croncast from nothing to something.

Here's the breakdown.

Marshall Electronics MXL 2003 [link] microphones . . . I recommend these mics to everyone that asks. And after recently cheating on them with a Neumann U87ai I like them even more. With a price tag of $149 at most dealers you can't go wrong. We've used them now for two years and I own five of them. The sound is clear, they knock a lot of ambient noise down and their pick up pattern is second to none with a great low end and limited high end. The mic comes with a bass cut and a -10dB pad switch that can help when finding the right sound for your voice and recording space. These are phantom power microphones so I need a preamp.

Universal Audio 6176 [link] analog channel strip with 610 Tube Microphone preamp and 1176LN compressor. These two units are a new piece to the puzzle. They've replace the dbx 166XL that I was using for some limiting. The 6176's bring a nice warm sound to the shows that the 166XL didn't have. Most studios use them for recording bass tracks or heating up/distorting some vocals but I prefer them on a little lower setting to add a level bass and compression to our voices that would take me a couple of hours to create in post production through eq and other plug-ins.

PreSonus Firepod [link] is a 24-bit/96K FireWire recording interface with 8 preamplifiers (8 XLR/line inputs with phantom power). I originally bought this to replace an M-Audio MobilePre that was flaking out and causing intermittent popping in tracks. The reason that I chose the Firepod was primarily the 8 XLR inputs with phantom power to multitrack instead of force output to a single stereo track . . . a huge plus when recording more than 4 voices for a show. Also, if the UA 6176 wasn't part of the signal chain anymore I could live with the sound, I did for five months.

Sony VGC-RB62G [link] Intel Dual Core 2.8GHz with 2GB RAM. I've done little modification of this box other than adding a new video card, an extra FireWire card, a gig of RAM and a second hard drive. Usually, I prefer to build my own computer but was in the middle of the Alltel Racing Podcast when the old one died and I needed something right away. I went to Fry's and this box was best thing that they had in stock that met my requirements. It is or was sold as a Media PC and came with remote, surround speaker set up and more software than I could care to have (primarily the shit that just gums up the system). The only complaint that I have had so far with this computer is that every input in the back of it USB, FireWire or 1/8' has a ton of electrical noise in it when used for recording. I am forced to use the front 4 pin FireWire input for what should normally be a transparent sound recording.

Sony Sound Forge 8 [link] audio editor. This is the software that I record the shows into. I have been using Sound Forge for the last 7 years. When I got my first computer in 1999 at age 25 I learned how to use it by working with Steinberg's WaveLab (another great audio editor) but late in that year switched to Sound Forge. WaveLab had a lot of great features but they never compared the bundle of plug-ins that came with or for Sound Forge. WaveLab relied on the VST model and Sound Forge on Direct-X which meant that there were also more plug-ins to choose from. The killer plug-in was the Noise Reduction tool that prior to version 7 (maybe 6) wasn't bundled with the license. It is the best noise reduction tool on the market. I've heard most of the rest first hand, even the ones used in million dollar studios and would still choose the one in Sound Forge. I don't use Noise Reduction on our show but when doing post on audio recorded out of the studio I use it about 90% of the time.

Waves L2 Ultramaximizer [link] mastering compressor. Yep, I already ran the audio signal through an amazing compressor in the 6176 but the L2 puts the finishing touches on the wav file before I close out Sound Forge. This plug-in is the secret in my sauce. I have used it for about four years and find it's sound brighter, more open and louder than any other including Ozone 2 or 3 (which is an attempt to recreate the sound at a lower cost).

Sony Vegas 6 [link] multitrack video editor. Video? Did Kris just say, video? I sure did. When this product was first developed by Sonic Foundry it started out as a multitrack audio mastering suite that was supposed to be an upgrade from their Acid line of software. That didn't quite work out and they released a second version for video. With two competing versions on the market they made the wise decision to morph them together into Vegas Video, Sonic Foundry was bought by Sony and the rest is history. I use Vegas basically the same way that I use Dreamweaver for coding pages, as a template. All i have to do for Croncast is plug in each new recording on the timeline and poof there is a fully mastered show.

Xing MP3 encoder (included in Vegas) all shows are encoded to Joint Stereo, 96 Kbps at 44.1. This lowest quality that I will encode my own work to or for that of a client. This range is somewhat higher than many podcasters will recommend for a speech driven show but I find that anything less sound hollow and purely focuses on midrange sounds. Blah. At a bit rate lower than 96 Kbps most audio encoders, like this one, won't allow for a sample rate of 44.1 KHz. I used to encode the shows to a lower value two years ago when we first started but then iTunes came to town and studios started cranking out CD quality audio files. Once that bar was raised I figured it was okay for me to join that party.

MP3 Tag Tools [link] to edit ID3 tags. It is open source and the best ID3 tag editor that I have found. It will allow you to make changes to version 1 and 2 tags that will cover most of the popular media players like WinAmp, Windows Media Player and iTunes. It'll even let you add up to 18 images per file in the album art that can be displayed in iTunes.

iTunes for adding iTunes specific data to the ID3 tag. Didn't you already do this? Sort of. iTunes uses on the variances of the ID3 V2 tag standard to display meta data that is included with the MP3.

That is it friends. Once all that crap has happened it is time to upload the show to the server, fire up Castlock, start adding show notes and then make the show available for download.

Tags: MXL 2003 Universal Audio 6176 PreSonus Firepod Waves L2 Ultramaximizer Sony VGC-RB62G

I start a new job today . . .

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:49:53 -0600
I don't think we mentioned it that often on the show but I start a new job today. Wish me luck!

The new gig represents a great opportunity for me to use my nerd powers for good and possibly bring podcasting into a for profit realm.

Anyway, just wanted to share this bit of good news.

Tags: Kris Smith job podcasting for profit Castlock working for the man