Valleywag: Adam Curry

"He's got this big thing in Berlin which looks like the, you know, something Hitler would put together"

Paul Boutin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:40:00 PDT

A moment of pity for professional blowhard John C. Dvorak. The guy had built an enviable career out of baiting Apple evangelists. Now that Apple pisses off its own customers, Dvorak needs to look elsewhere for someone to offend. His first target: The Obamatards who pack the Bay Area, stumping for Barack as fervently as they once did for Steve Jobs. By loosely comparing Obama's Berlin campaign event to Hitler's Nuremberg Rallies, Dvorak has proven it possible to break Godwin's Law, the no-Hitler rule of the Internet. Check out this audio clip from a podcast with Adam Curry [MP3]. Dvorak breaks through the Hitler barrier and keeps on going as bravely as Chuck Yeager cracking the speed of sound. It's impressive, but only until you realize a thousand talk radio hosts have been doing it all day for years. (Photo by AP/Jens Meyer)

PodShow relaunch as Mevio confirms death of podcasting

Jackson West — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:40:00 PDT

Confirming our assumption based on a tipster's report of PodShow's new domain name, the podcasting network plans to ditch the "pod" prefix that was all the rage in 2005. TV Week reports:

The makeover represents a shift from the "podcast era" to an era of premium, episodic Web content, the company said.

The company's focus will shift away from being a codependent enabler of enthusiastic amateurs and their "content" and towards semi-professional Web video — though, from what we hear about PodShow's studio operations, "semi-professional" is a generous description. Meanwhile, podtrepreneurs everywhere will be haunted by recurring dreams of PodShow founder Adam Curry wearing black robes and carrying a sickle.

Adam Curry's PodShow changing its name?

Jackson West — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:40:00 PDT

Former MTV Web jockey Adam Curry's PodShow podcasting network is being renamed — to Mevio. At least that's what it looks like from this domain listing forwarded by a tipster. While podcasting was the hot new thing back in 2005, the luster has worn off. It's easy for producers to publish, but not so convenient for consumers. In the time it takes to find an interesting podcast, subscribe, and hook up your iPod, you could have watched five YouTube videos. Best thing that could possibly happen? Other "Pod-" named companies might get the hint and rename themselves as well.

PodShow said to lay off 20 out of 60-plus employees

Owen Thomas — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:20:45 PDT

PodShow, the San Francisco-based online-video network best known for launching the career of CNET's Natali Del Conte, is laying off about 20 employees, or as much as 30 percent of its staff. "There are no secrets, only information you don't yet have," is the slogan for former MTV VJ Adam Curry's podcast. Curry, a PodShow cofounder, didn't show up to deliver information about the firings; we're told he left that to middle managers.

PodTech escapees have lunch with the VJ

Owen Thomas — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:10:26 PDT

San Francisco videographers Irina Slutsky and Eddie Codel have broken ties, we hear, with troubled online-video network PodTech. So what were they doing lunching earlier in the week with PodShow executives Adam Curry, the former MTV video jockey, and John Dvorak, the faux-grouchy tech columnist? The foursome were spotted eating al fresco at a restaurant near AT&T Park. We'd make jokes about the frying pan and the fire, but from the looks of Codel in this photo snapped by a Valleywag informant, he's just happy to be eating a hot meal. Eddie, baby, call us up. Next lunch is on us.

Another reason to hate Podshow

Tim Faulkner — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:44:59 PDT

TIM FAULKNER — John C. Dvorak has been named VP & Managing Editor of PodShow TECH, the technology channel of the podcasting network created by Adam Curry and Ron Bloom. The curmudgeonly and possibly eternal techno-journalist also will host his own podcast dubbed Tech5.

CEO Ron Bloom suggests we'll finally be getting the tech podcast we've been waiting for:

Typical technology channels are really just listings of programming, featuring boring talking heads or uninformed rants. PodShow TECH will feature personality driven content with a healthy dose of attitude... fair, but not necessarily impartial... accurate but also exciting."

Is Bloom ignorant of most tech podcasts? Or his own company's Geek Brief TV? Or is he pulling a Curry claiming innovation and originality where there is none? And calling Dvorak "exciting"? The notoriously anti-Apple journalist may be "outspoken" but never exciting. The marriage of pervasive, annoying, and irrelevant John C. Dvorak to the PodShow network is a match made in heaven... for Curry, Bloom, and Dvorak, that is. For the user... a marriage forged in the fires of hell.

New concepts in podcasting: Paychecks

dtweney — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:32:09 PST

Former MTV VJ Adam Curry has pulled down some serious money for his podcast network, PodShow. And he's spending the dough on talent: 500 podcasters are receiving "upfront money" to produce audio and video for the network, Curry said earlier this week on Leo LaPorte's podcast, This Week in Tech. "Upfront money" is apparently Curry's term for "paycheck," a novel concept in the notoriously unprofitable world of podcasting. Curry's hires include former TechCrunch reporter and Cranky Geeks commentator Natali del Conte. Natali's video show, called Tech Check, will start in a few weeks. Because what the world really needs is another female tech commentator known for her looks. An all-star Natali del Conte photo gallery, after the jump.

(Party photos from Natali's own post on Google's holiday party)

Remainders: One saucy Curry

Nick Douglas — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 18:52:48 PDT

The Inquirer likes the idea that AOL's Jason Calacanis was handed Netscape by someone seeking his failure. But everyone knows Calacanis will fail spectacularly, which is the Dogbert-endorsed fast track to success. [Inquirer]
Podcast king Adam Curry makes a funny about podcast queen Dave Winer. [Adam Curry's blog]
Yahoo CEO Terry Semel earns a Dumb-o-Meter Score of 91 from TheStreet.com in their "Five dumbest things on Wall Street this week" column. But any week where Yahoo is only one of the five items, is a good week. [TheStreet]
One of those anonybloggers clogs our tubes with a summary of Chris Anderson's hit book, The Long Tail: More is less, more or less. [Globosphere]
Blogging micro-magnate Paul Scrivens, celebrating a new edition of the 9rules network, gives unconvincing evidence of his dancing skill. [9rules]

Remainders: Sony exec Phil Harrison is kind of a bitch

Nick Douglas — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:04:58 PDT

As soon as an AOL Joystiq blogger turns off the tape in a normal little interview, Sony exec Phil Harrison (pictured) sneers, "Well those were positive questions." So he's trying to prove Sony's not arrogant — it's just a little bitchy. [Joystiq]
Amanda Congdon extends her 15 minutes into Hong Kong media. [Daily Hits Blog]
Conde Nast biz dev guy Kourosh Karimkhany was named general manager of Wired News (now that Conde Nast owns it). Hey, I know that name — he's a proud alum of our big brother Kotaku. Good to see at least someone merited a promotion after the buyout. [Press release]
Note2Dell: Before naming your blog one2one, check whether one2one.com is a porn site. Because, well, it is. [ZDNet]
Overheard in a chat room: "Adam Curry invented everything related to podcasting." "Well, he certainly invented the history of podcasting."

Tom Morris is a very funny fellow, right

Nick Douglas — Tue, 30 May 2006 13:56:46 PDT

Blogger Tom Morris does, um, something with OPML or whatnot. But bugger that — he makes clever Silicon Valley comics like this nerdhunt:

A bigger version is after the jump, or in Tom's photo stream at Flickr. Other Morris wit: The Zany Web 2.0 World and The Wacky World of Steve.

Heh. "Nano Nikes."

Source: What are the nerds doing? [Tom Morris on Flickr via Morris's blog]

Is Adam Curry stiffing the Netherlands?

ndouglas — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 07:00:12 PDT

Fact check? Oh hell, who fact checks a story this juicy? Trust this rumor from a reader as much as you'd trust a hooker with a promise ring.

I just heard from a Dutch source that Adam Curry is being sued by the Dutch government for tax evasion. He hasn't been in the country to answer the charges and seems to be avoiding going home. Don't know if this is true, but one could check a Dutch news service to corroborate.

And the Dutch news services haven't said a thing about any tax troubles for the ex-MTV VJ and current podcaster. Treat this as a "wouldn't it be funny" for now.

Especially since would-be podfather Dave Winer is reportedly on the "Defame Adam Curry" warpath — an unconfirmed tip says Winer recently ranted about "taking down" Adam Curry at a party. (Caveat to this caveat: Public ranting seems unlikely even for the excitable Winer.)

Reactions to Valleywag: Aw, shucks.

ndouglas — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 10:16:41 PDT

BusinessWeek profiled little old me. Note: The Compaq Evo is being replaced by a refurbed Powerbook with working speakers. Continue sending loud and obnoxious videos. [BusinessWeek]
Podcaster Adam Curry was a real sport about the Bastard of the Blogs thing. (But he implies that he ~~drinks Budweiser~~ smokes pot. Official ~~loss~~ gain of cool points?) [Adam Curry]
And Waggers keep writing the Valleyspeak phrasebook. Note to would-be word-coiners: the blog-related lexicon is saturated. Send words about business, social networks, anything but blogs! [Valleyspeak]

Adam Curry, newest bastard of the blogs

ndouglas — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:44:23 PDT

Those Bastards, the blog that proves some PR is bad PR, finally found the funny. The newest Bastard of the Blogs is Adam Curry, ex-MTV VJ and the Mick Jagger of podcasting.

Curry was just embarrassed in late March by a podcasted reading of his Podshow contract (which gives Podshow rights to all the material by featured podcasters). Before that, Curry was sent through the blogosphere's gauntlet for editing Wikipedia and crediting himself for podcasting. Yes, this is a man who managed to make bloggers sympathize with the usually unpopular Dave Winer, who really did help invent this medium.

This would make a really boring episode of Behind the Music, wouldn't it? Anyone want to float a drug rumor or something?

Adam Curry "Bastard of the Blogs" card [Those Bastards]