Trying Flipzu - Live Broadcasts from Phone or Browser
I was given a recommendation from Ed Ovett (Ed's Mixed Bag) to take a look at a live broadcast solution called Flipzu. I registered an account and gave it a try. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of documentation on how to use the service, so my first attempt was quite failed. I clicked the "Broadcast Now" button, entered a title and clicked the second "Broadcast Now" button to begin my first broadcast. I knew that I would go live, but I assumed that it would stop recording when I clicked stop and closed the browser tab.
Unfortunately, when I went to Twitter to check the post it was still recording. Everything I typed on my Macbook continued to be broadcast. I was using the built-in mic with the Macbook, so it picked up every stroke and mouse gesture. The app continued to record for almost five minutes (I'm glad that I wasn't in conversation with anyone in the house). Only on returning to the site did I realize that the broadcast had continued.
For record, I was using Google Chrome to visit Flipzu.
Here's my second attempt at recording/broadcasting with Flipzu. I used a very inexpensive earbud/mic combination to record this. You'll hear the explanation if you listen to the recording.
Visit here if you can't see the embedded player.
I'm still trying to determine how I might use Flipzu. Perhaps a live Audio Gumshoe episode? Perhaps I'll rebroadcast some previous episodes. Maybe it would be a nice tool to use while on my morning commute (though I don't have an iPhone or an Android phone; Flipzu supports both with an app.)
I was contacted on Twitter by Lucas Lain, a co-founder of Flipzu. He asked how he could help. I gave him a few thoughts. I think it's great that he engages enough with potential users to help them through the process of getting started. If you would like to try it, you can go directly to the web site -- or you can use their Android or iPhone apps available in the app stores. The service will let you link directly to your Twitter and Facebook accounts if you desire to do so.
UPDATE: Apparently the embed code -- which resides in an iFrame -- is not compatible with Posterous. Perhaps that can be fixed on the Posterous side sometime in the near future.
