iProng Magazine issue #35: Tim Coyne of The Hollywood Podcast and more

iProng Magazine turns its attention toward podcasting and new media with a cover story interview with Tim Coyne of The Hollywood Podcast. In issue #35 we also feature an interview with the lead singers of Company of Thieves and The Midway State – along with reviews of iPhone and iPod hardware accessories and software apps.

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iProng Magazine’s 35th issue featuring Tim Coyne of The Hollywood Podcast

iProng Magazine issue #34: Katy Perry cover story, Couplecasters and more

iProng Magazine celebrates Valentine’s Day as pop star Katy Perry graces our cover for the second time and we also interview four pairs of couplecasters. This issue also features iPhone app reviews including Spore Origins, Photogene, and a hands-on first look at Days of Thunder – along with reviews of iPhone and iPod hardware accessories.

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iProng Magazine issue #33: Al Green cover story, WDW Radio and more

iProng Magazine interviews living legend Al Green (yes, that Al Green) in this Grammy preview issue. Also featured: Lou Mongello of the WDW Radio Show podcast, musician Kirsten Price, podiobook author Mark Jeffrey, reviews of the Todo and LogMeIn iPhone apps, along with reviews of iPhone and iPod hardware accessories.

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iProng Magazine Valentines issue featuring Katy Perry, Couplecasters and more

WDW Radio Show

Lou Mongello talks about the origins of his Disney-related podcast and more.

Have you always been a Disney fan growing up?



Yes! Beyond the movies, etc., I first went to Walt Disney World at age 3, just a month after the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. Since then, I have been fortunate in that my parents took me at least once a year. As I grew older, I became more fascinated with it, began going on my own with friends and family, and that love of Disney has quickly turned into a passion. I was always fascinated by what it was that not only brought me and my family back year after year, but the millions of other families as well. I learned all I could about what went on “backstage” to make the magic happen, and instead of spoiling the illusion for me, instead it gave me a greater appreciation of what goes on  in what really is a working city. Over time, I continued to learn all I could not only by reading, but by speaking to the people both “onstage” and “backstage,” which only served to fuel my interest and enjoyment of the parks.



What led you to start the WDW Radio Show podcast two years ago?



I actually started podcasting in mid-2005 on my first Disney show called MouseTunes. My co-host and I ended the show in February, 2007, and the next week, I had my first episode of The WDW Radio Show done and live. For me, the ability  to share my passion with so many other Disney enthusiasts is simply wonderful. There is something special about a places that draws tens of millions of visitors every year, whether they be families, honeymooners, spring breakers or even singles to the parks. Podcasting allows me to share information in a way that simply cannot be conveyed through the written word on a blog or magazine. To hear the people who worked with Walt Disney talk about the man, or an Imagineer who helped create a classic attraction is so much more powerful to to simply read about it. Podcasting is an extremely powerful medium, and one that I believe is still growing. Shows are now so much more accessible than they were back in 2005, with so many more benefits than terrestrial radio. No longer to you have to wait for, and work around when you want to hear content that appeals to you – the listener now controls how, when and where they get their information.  And while when I first started the show, I was amazed (and still am to a certain degree) that people would listen each week to me talking about Walt Disney World, as the show has grown I realize that when we can’t get to the parks as often as we like, it’s great to be able to get a little bit of that “Disney magic” at home.


You recently released your 100th episode. What are some of the biggest changes since back when you were releasing your first episode?



I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist and taken great pride in the production quality of my show, but I have to say that with each show, I think I learn a little more, and hopefully continue to refine and improve upon what I’m doing. Beyond that, certainly I hope that I’ve grown personally in how I present the show, as well as continued to diversify the content and segments. I’ve also been able to have incredible access to guests that I never would have imagined being able to speak with. From well-known personalities like the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown, to songwriting legend Richard Sherman of the Sherman Brothers, to Disney artists, animators, Imagineers and executives, I’ve been able to interview people whose work I personally admire and appreciate, but hope my listeners do as well.  

As an independent show, what kind of relationship do you have with Disney itself?



Disney has always been wonderful to me. While I am, of course, completely unofficial and not endorsed or sponsored by the Company in any way, they have always been very gracious and given me access and ability to cover events and speak with individuals in order to present information timely and accurately. And on a personal level, there’s something even more exciting and rewarding for me when a Disney Cast Member tells me that they listen to my show or enjoys my books.    


What else do we need to know about your show?



My show is meant to appeal to Disney fans of any age or interest level. The segments I produce each week are meant to inform, educate and entertain my listeners in a 100% family-friendly, very positive environment. Whether you are a first-time visitor, or think you’ve seen and done it all in Walt Disney World, each week I hope to introduce people to some of Walt Disney World hidden treasures, overlooked experiences, tips, news, trivia, history, contests, interviews and so much more to help bring a little bit of the Disney magic to you at home. And other than the news, because most of my segments are not time-specific, you can always go back and listen to older episodes and find things that I think would interest you. Most of all, I take great pride in doing my show each and every week (often on very little sleep), simply because I am so passionate about Walt Disney World.

Learn more and listen or subscribe at WDWRadio.com

Todo for iPhone

There are so many GTD apps for the iPhone, with many free ones (or rather, just light versions of the full paid ones) and several ones you must pay for in order to use and experience how it will affect your daily tasks. But however you think about it, if an app requires you to pay money for it, but it will affect your life by easily organizing your tasks, then why wouldn’t the app be worth it? This is the case for Appigo’s GTD iPhone app called Todo, currently on 1.6.1.

This GTD app allows the user to easily create new tasks when the app is first launched, and will give you the default lists of Inbox, Home, Work (or something similar to these, it’s been a while since I first started using it, so I don’t remember the defaults). Tap one of these lists and you will be taken to the tasks you have filed under these lists. Organization is key to a to-do list drowning in tasks.



To create a new tasks in a list, simply tap the + button at the top. Then you will be prompted to enter a task name and then also choose what type of task. This is something pretty unique, as it gives you a normal task (just complete it and check it off), Call a Contact, Email a Contact, Visit a Location, and Visit a Website, which all will leave distinct icons next to the tasks when viewing the list of tasks. Then add due dates, times, and repeat if necessary, as well as priority. Default list would be Inbox, but you can choose whichever list you would fit the task. You can even add tags to tasks for easy searching.


The tasks can then be viewed in the All list, or you can choose to view each individual list you have set up. There is also a special smart list that you cannot edit or remove, and this is the Focus list. This list will contain any tasks that have due dates coming up within a week that you should give your attention to. When a task is complete, simply tap the circle next to it, and within seconds it will have a strikeout through it and move to the completed tasks section at the bottom.

It should also be mentioned that the strikeout design can be customized to your liking. There are dozens of choices, and to see them just go to the Settings within the app and then go to General, then Strikeout under the Completed Tasks section. Choose a strikeout to your liking and add a bit of flair to your GTD list.

This version introduced desktop syncing with iCal via the free companion app called Appigo Sync, available for download here http://www.appigo.com/appigo-sync. This program allows you to sync all of your to-do’s on the Todo app with your iCal app on the desktop as long as both phone and computer are connected on the same [wifi] network. If you don’t have a Mac though, you can also sync with the online services Toodledo and Remember The Milk.

Overall, this is a very good GTD app for the iPhone. And fairly cheap compared to other competing apps for desktop syncing (mainly just Things, which costs $60 total if you want desktop syncing). It is especially nice to see your tasks get synced onto your iCal, and then, if you have MobileMe, they will get synced with that as well (unfortunately to-dos do not show up on the iPhone calender app) so the tasks you have from Todo will then be available everywhere you can access MobileMe. Although you cannot sync with multiple services, only one at a time. If you decide to change syncing services, then you will have to get rid of the other one you were using. This is the only downside I have encountered with the app. But why would you need to sync with different services? I guess you don’t.

Twestival LA

Right now 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. That’s one in six of us. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation causes 80% of all sickness and disease, and kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Many communities in developing nations could have a plentiful supply of clean drinking water just below the ground, but no way to get to it.

On 12 February 2009 100+ cities around the world, including Hong Kong, Melbourne, London, and Los Angeles will be hosting a Twestival in an effort to raise money for charity: water. Twestival Los Angeles, will rally together its local Twitter community, under short timescales, for a single aim on the same day, to bring awareness to this global crisis.



Anyone using Twitter can see the power it has in communicating, bringing people together, and more recently, to bring change to the world. In August, nonprofit social media maven Beth Kanter was able to raise $2,500 in only 90 minutes. In November, Epic Change raised over $10,000 in 48 hours with $10 donations via Tweetsgiving. And most recently, Laura Fitton was able to raise $25,000 over the holidays leading up to her birthday using Twitter and TipJoy, a tool allowing donors to via Twitter. Twestival aims to take donate as much or little as they want Twitter micro donations to the next level with its online and offline efforts.

Twestival LA, as well as the other cities, will be organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of the money raised from ticket sales, online donations, and other efforts will go directly to support charity: water projects. Many countries around the globe benefit from charity: water projects including Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Cote DíIvoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Please support Twestival and charity: water by making a donation, attending an event or participating in one of the many online fundraising activities.

Learn more at these clickable links… twestival.com • la.twestival.com • charitywater.org/twestival

i.Sound Twin Charger

These days, the multiple-iPhone/iPod household may be more often the rule than the exception. It’s not uncommon for an individual to have both an iPhone and an iPod, or two different sized iPods, to say nothing of a couple who each have their own iPhone, and that’s before you consider how many iPods the kids might have. And with the relatively short battery life on these devices, keeping them all charged can quickly become a hassle, especially considering that Apple no longer bundles wall chargers and expects users to charge each device via USB – not necessarily practical if multiple iPhone and iPod users share the same computer.


i.Sound’s Twin Charger is not a new concept. In fact Griffin Technology’s PowerDock was one of our Best of Show winners at the 2008 Macworld Expo more than a year ago. But we’re pleased to see more companies offering such products, as the idea of tying up multiple USB ports (or even if you purchase separate charging bricks from Apple, multiple wall sockets) is only going to grow less palatable as more and more members of each household are becoming iPhone and iPod users. The three primary differentiators between the Twin Charger and the PowerDock are pretty straightforward: capacity, styling, and price.


While the PowerDock comes in a choice of two docks ($49) or four ($69), the Twin Charger only comes in the dual-dock configuration at $39, which makes it the better-priced option by ten bucks. Beyond that, it comes down to styling. The Twin Charger features black acrylic with white trim, which lights up in neon blue when one or more devices is docked (which looks cool and provides immediate confirmation that your device is being charged). If neon lighting on your nightstand isn’t your idea of fun, there’s a switch on the back that kills the lights. While we wish i.Sound would bring out a Quad charger, the Twin Charger is easily recommendable to those users who like its styling and particularly those who like the blue lighting effects.

iProng Magazine’s 33rd issue featuring an interview with Al Green and more!