Reviews

Ever since I began using Skype a couple years ago, I’ve been looking for the best way to use it without being tethered to my PC by a pair of headphones. I tried the Bluetooth route, but the sound quality was less than adequate, and I could never get used to those little Bluetooth ear pieces hanging over my ear. What I really wanted was just to use my regular landline headset for Skype and regular landline calls (it’s all about integration with me).

This weekend, during a trip to BestBuy, I found a solution. It’s called the D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter. Read More

I did a podcast interview with Bob Walsh, who just released a new book called MicroISV: From Vision to Reality (you can download the audio here if you haven’t already). I also used the interview to test out a new service called CastingWords.

CastingWords will take any audio file you provide and transcribe it for you at a rate of just $0.42 per minute of audio. To transcribe the 45 minute interview with Bob, I paid $18.90, and the turnaround time was about 36 hours. They provide you with three file format: html, text and RTF. I simply copied their transcript, pasted it into MS Word, then converted it to a PDF file. It’s pretty long, so I’m not posting the full transcript on this blog. If you want to read it, get the PDF file here.

As for CastingWords, I couldn’t be happier with it. You simply provide a link to the audio file, tell them how long the audio runs, then pay the fee. Very simple. Very easy. The only way it could be better is if it was free and faster, but 36 hours is pretty damn good in my book, and from what I’ve seen, their rates are below most of the transcription services out there. I’ve not yet checked the transcript thoroughly for typos, but it did pass a spell-check with flying colors. If you need some audio transcribed, definitely give it a look.

I began using a new, online service called Fruitcast this past November. Created by James Archer of Forty Media, Fruitcast is a service that inserts brief, 20-second ad spots at the beginning and end of your podcast. In return, they pay the you a percentage of the cost to the advertiser. It’s very much like Google Adsense but for podcasts. You receive anywhere from 2 cents to 5 cents each time one of your ad-inserted podcasts is downloaded. There are several good things to say about Fruitcast, as well as a few negative issues that ultimately led me to stop using it as of this morning. Lets start with the positive aspects of it. Read More

Health insurance; it’s something almost every solopreneur has to deal with at some point. I don’t know about you, but I’d just as soon avoid dealing with it at all. To me, it feels like just another expense I don’t need, especially when I hit a lean month now and again. Also, I’m not a big fan of insurance people. It’s not so much the people that bug me. It’s the process. I really don’t care for the paperwork and inevitable health questions you have to answer. I think if it were just me, I wouldn’t pay much attention to it, but I have my daughter to consider as well. Although she’s very healthy, I hate the thought of her going without insurance; just in case. So, it was a huge relief when I discovered eHealthInsurance a few months ago. Read More

When I created my Podsnapper Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting, I looked high and low for the perfect PDF Converter. Much to my surprise, I discovered and tried a bunch of ‘em; like maybe 20. Ultimately, I settled on a program called deskPDF Professional (link below). Read More