Easy2Blog - review

So I've got a new very easy place to recommend to blog, it's called Easy2Blog. It's got loads of options and it's easy to configure. They'll do ad exchanges for you, an about me section, a blogroll-type thing, counter, rss, sydication badges that automatically add your blog to others myYahoo/feedburner/etc., commenting, easy to add photos to posts, search, counters and an easy way to add blocks of html for other services like blogrolling or whatever you'd like (you can easily reorder them too).

Downsides: It doesn't let me post with Safari (Mac Firefox & Mac IE is okay). It lists your e-mail address on the site (this doesn't appear to be an option) so get a spare if you don't want it listed (I've still got free gMail to give out). It's got ads (but that's how they pay for it) and you can deny explicit content (or request it) for the ads. It doesn't appear you can use a client for editing.

This company provide bunches of other sites for free but with add-ons for a cost so I bet they'll offer ad free options for now, but even if they don't it's an easy place to start up if you want to try this “blogging thing” out...

And it's really easy to use.

FYI - My new blog is not an Easy2Blog. I'm still faithful to MovableType.

iTunes, iPods and Apple do Podcasting software right!!!

The Apple iTunes store has added Podcasts at the iTunes Music Store
(just click on “podcasts” from the main menu at the iTMS) and of course they are free. I know you're thinking, “Who cares, I've already got podcasting software to download them and add them to my iPod?” But this doesn't need software this builds it right in so your friends who you haven't gotten to listen have no excuse now (the software is free and so are the downloads). Plus they updated the firmware on your iPod to offer several benefits (read on). And Apple started their own weekly new music podacast!

The new iPod software puts the podcasts in a folder so they don't get mixed in with your music. Plus they all appear to be automatically bookmarked when you leave a podcast and come back to it!!!! This is important for the longer shows (some are 20-60 minutes) when you want to come back and not have to fast forward through a lot of information!

What didn't they do? I don't see any way to make my own smart playlist of podcasts. It's inconvenient to jump around between different podcasts (or I'm doing it wrong). I used to make a smart playlist of short (30sec-2min) daily podcasts and listen to them all in 20-30 minutes, it was like my own radio show. I'm really hoping I'm missing something on this and someone can correct me on it.

I'm sure I'll find more to comment on about this good and bad but so far the plusses far outweigh the minuses to me...