The Microsoft Zune HD is no iPod-killer, according to technology research firm, Compete.

Some thought that Microsoft’s new touch-screen portable media player could give the iPod touch a run for its money, but Apple’s latest iPod announcements appear to be generating a lot more interest.

According to Compete’s Conrad Beickler:

• The addition of a video camera to the iPod Nano resulted in a 700% week over week lift in traffic to Nano specific pages at apple.com during launch week
• Traffic to Zune.net, on the other hand, only saw a comparatively modest 90% week to week increase when the Zune HD launched
• What’s far more damaging to the Zune HD’s prospects is that the iPod Touch, which hasn’t changed drastically since its redesign in September 2008, drew virtually identical levels of interest from online consumers as the entire Zune.net site during the first two weeks immediately following the Zune HD launch

Beickler calls consumer interest in the Zune lukewarm – but even that’s an improvement for Microsoft. The Zune HD seems to be convincing people to reconsider the Zune platform.

“If early interest is any indication,” says Beickler, “the Zune HD could have a tough time grabbing a significant part of the market.”

Zoom is now shipping the Zoom Q3, a $249 pocket-cam that promises to be “the best sounding video camcorder you’ve ever heard.”

The Zoom Q3 looks like it should be a great camcorder for “prosumer” level video podcasting and video blogging. The Q3 has two condenser mics on-board, in an X/Y pattern in order to capture an accurate stereo image

Unfortunately, the resolution is limited to 640 x 480, which limits its usefulness to Internet videos.

If you’ve used the Zoom Q3, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Details below.

Podcasts just got another dose of mainstream validation. The NYTimes reports that podcasts are now eligible for National Magazine Awards:

Podcasters, rejoice, for you are now eligible for a National Magazine Award. The creators of the prestigious awards plan to announce on Wednesday that they are adding 12 new categories covering online media.

The categories include mobile media, news reporting, interactive tool, podcasting, video and community, among others. ASME is also adding an award for combined print and online work, called Magazine of the Year, to be presented at the April party.Just what defines an online magazine — versus an online newspaper or blog — will largely be left up to the publications and the judges, said Sid Holt, the chief executive of ASME.

“The Huffington Post, if it defines itself as a magazine, we would accept the entry. If it defines itself as a newspaper, then of course it should enter the Pulitzers,” he said.

In essence, the National Magazine Awards are saying that podcasts are just another option for delivering subscription content.

Image: penmachine

The original Star Wars (aka Episode IV: A New Hope) is a classic – cheesy acting and all.

But the crowd-sourced Star Wars Uncut may end up challenging the original for the position of second best Star Wars movie ever.

Organizers cut the original movie into 15-second clips and 473 indie moviemakers are recreating the scenes, low-budget style. From what we’ve seen so far, the clips are hilariously awesome, cheesy acting and all.

Once all the clips are done, they will be stitched together to create a new version of the movie, Star Wars Uncut.

Organizers expect the movie to wrap up in December. Until then, here are a few more samples:

It sometimes seems like you can’t go to a concert anymore without getting warned that audio and video recording are prohibited.

Nine Inch Nails is taking a different approach, though, encouraging fans to not just film and record their shows, but to put together edited DVDs that you can download.

The video above is a teaser for their latest concert DVD, The Downward Spiral: Live, from their Webster Hall concert, where they performed The Downward Spiral from start to finish.

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Is time for WordPress-based podcasters to dump the once-pioneering podcasting plugin PodPress?

It could be.

blubrry has announced that PowerPress 1.0 is now available, and it supports all the key PodPress features:

Version 1.0 of Blubrry PowerPress Podcasting plugin for WordPress is now available. The latest version includes a number of new features/options as well as a settings pages redesign based on user feedback. With this update, PowerPress now includes all of the key features found in PodPress.

Details below. Download here. If you’re migrating from PodPress, check out the install instructions at WordPress.org.

Have you replaced PodPress with PowerPress? Let me know what your thoughts are on the switch!

Twitter plans to add video tweeting to its mobile microblogging platform.

According to a story in the  Telegraph:

Twitter users may soon be posting real-time video tweets in addition to text tweets under plans to modernize the site.

Twitter’s founders hope by adding live video-tweeting it will help boost its prominence as a fashionable social-networking tool again.

Other short form video sites have failed to gain much traction – but the rise of smart phones, combined with Twitter’s popularity, could give the site a better opportunity for success as a real-time video blogging platform.

Do you think Twitter can succeed where others have failed?

Update: Twitter’s Biz Stone denies the rumor:

Haven’t read the piece but no video hosting. 140 characters of text including spaces. You know the drill!

Chad Hurley posted an update on the state of YouTube today, calling the site the Burger King of new media:

Today, I’m proud to say that we have been serving well over a billion views a day on YouTube. This is great moment in our short history and we owe it all to you.

Looking back at those early days, we were committed to some basic principles that have since become fundamental tenants in the world of online video:

• Speed matters: Videos should load and play back quickly.
• Clip culture is here to stay: Short clips are voraciously consumed and perfect for watching a wide variety of content.
• Open platforms open up possibility: Content creation isn’t our business; it’s yours. We wanted to create a place where anyone with a video camera, a computer, and an Internet connection could share their life, art, and voice with the world, and in many cases make a living from doing so.

While YouTube has obviously nailed the user experience that people are looking for with Internet video, they have yet to resolve the legal and financial challenges that the site faces.

via YouTube Blog.

Most churches and religious organizations are skipping podcasting and social media, and putting “shovelware” onto the Web instead, according to the Barna Group, an organization that does research on faith and culture.

While there’s been a lot of talk about godcasting and using social media to connect with congregations, it looks like most churches, as they are currently organized, aren’t cut out for it.

According to Barna:

• About 1 percent of churches nationwide are currently making continuous, ground-breaking progress, according to Kinnaman;
• Between 60 and 65 percent of churches have an active Web site and web presence; and
• Between 35 and 40 percent of churches simply don’t bother.

Two big issues face congregations:

• Podcasting and new media are still complex and take a lot of work to be successful at, and many churches don’t have the resources;
• Huge social networks like Facebook and Myspace monopolize people’s attention, and churches don’t know how to respond to that.

While some religious organizations are using Internet media in very interesting ways, Barna’s research suggests that most are being left behind.

Image: PhillipC

CBS News reports that Drew Carey, the host of CBS’s The Price Is Right, is willing to donate up $1 million to Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong Foundation if he gets 1 million followers by midnight on December 31, 2009.

On Saturday, Carey tweeted that he would bid and donate $25,000 to Drew Olanoff, who currently owns the twitter name @drew and has been raising money for LiveStrong since he was diagnosed with Cancer in May.

Along with raising money, Olanoff has also become popular in the Twitterverse for creating the viral hashtag #blamedrewscancer, where people can tweet and blame his cancer for anything.

Do you think there’s any way that a Twitter account is worth $1 million?

Probably not – but the positive press for Carey is priceless, and the money will go to a good cause.