Sidepodcast

Live: Giggles Radio - H

Happily Harry Houdini hardly had hair. However at school: Harry, while Harold had had "had", had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on him.*

Hanyway... Hours of Giggles Radio coming up. In each episode our host Alex Andronov hears 2 hours of songs themed around a letter. This week the letter is H.

*This is explained here.

Playlist

• The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
• Goldfrapp - Happiness
• Take That - Hold Up A Light
• The Smiths - Panic (Hang the DJ)
• Weezer - Hash Pipe
• Cat Stevens - Hard-Headed Woman
• The Divine Comedy - The Happy Goth
• Johnny Cash - Hurt
• The Housemartins - Happy Hour
• Bernard Cribbins - The Hole In the Ground
• Frank Black & Teenage Fanclub - Handyman
• Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone
• Altered Images - Happy Birthday
• Breeders - Happiness Is A Warm Gun
• The Beatles - Happiness Is A Warm Gun
• The White Stripes - The Hardest Button To Button
• Black Crows - Hard To Handle
• The Beach Boys - Help Me, Rhonda
• Field Music - A House Is Not A Home
• David Bowie - Heroes
• Toni Basil - Hey Micky
• Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs.. Rhymenoceros (feat. Rhymenocerous and the Hiphopopotamus)
• OutKast - Hey Ya!
• The Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains
• Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie
• Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - Hunting Tigers Out In 'Indiah'
• Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
• The Beatles - Her Majesty

Jenson Button in Sandwich

We heard Jenson Button would be teaming up with Walkers Crisps to film some adverts, and the tabloids have been full of sneak peeks at Jenson in a tailor-made cab. I even referenced one particular picture for Christine's Rankings this week - marking JB down for the corny cab name.

With perfect timing, Walkers posted the first video to their YouTube channel.

Initial thoughts range from amusement at watching Button in action, confusion over the lack of Walkers branding, and bemusement over McLaren's use of taxis in a viral F1 video yet again. Are marketing departments that unoriginal?

Let us know what you think of the ad, of cabbie Jenson, and if it makes you hungry for a potato chip or two and thanks to Maverick for the heads-up.

Chandhok Makes His Christine's Rankings Debut

It's been a busy week in Formula 1, with the demise of US F1 and the rise of HRT F1. Terrible name, interesting driver pairing. Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok were both present for the launch and some interesting tweeting occurred.

Elsewhere, there is movement upwards for Webber and Glock, whilst the McLaren boys finally get some points on the board - not all good though. I know plenty of people have been keen to see Hamilton and Button drop the 'N/A' status, and this is their week.

Notes:

1. If it's good enough for Senna, it's good enough for Timo: gaming and fitness collide.
2. A Lap of Bahrain with Mark Webber
3. It's not a great pic but I like it anyway: http://twitpic.com/16kpv1

This time next week we will have seen the first race of the season, so expect plenty of driver movements. If you spot anything I should include on the list then please let me know in the usual ways! I'm always open to suggestions.

A Lap of Bahrain With Mark Webber

Red Bull have produced a stunning track guide for the first race of the Formula One season in Bahrain. Mark Webber is in the hot seat, and the two minute video takes viewers on a lap of the revised Bahrain International Circuit, from the cockpit of the team's F1 Simulator.

• Length: 02:17 
• Size: 26.8 MB 
• File: video27.m4v 
• Transcript: video27.pdf 
• Torrent: video27.torrent 

Production quality in the clip is second to none, and Webber does a fine job of covering the tricky points of the track. F1 simulators are becoming significantly more important as testing becomes ever more restricted, and this footage offers a great insight into the steps a modern F1 driver goes through to prepare for each race of the season.

There is a lot of information to take onboard in the lower third of the screen, and it's worth watching this one more than once. A fantastic effort from those involved and the only worrying thing is that there's nothing left for us to add.

Thursday Thoughts - Why Do You Blog?

This week as the off-season comes to a close, it's the final Thursday Thoughts for awhile. Unusually we have a question in front of us that both Christine and I can answer, but in different ways. So this is my take.

Maverick has put bloggers in the spotlight by simply asking, why do you blog?

This is a bit of a tricky subject to approach, because originally Sidepodcast was about audio and about video. The written word was, and still to a degree is, a secondary consideration. Two scenarios have driven the direction of site in a more textual direction - it is expensive to create two-way conversation using other media, and when time is of the essence, text delivery is faster and more convenient.

The latter is especially true when working on projects on a part-time basis.

Mr. C and Me

I only write blog posts for Sidepodcast and very occasionally for F1 Minute. You might consider me the lesser productive half of the team. I can't remember how I ended up getting roped into writing (I swear I only agreed to a speaking part), so a trip back into the archives is in order.

59 words made up my first post back in 2007, and it wasn't F1 related. A further month passed before I had a go at Ferrari. Following the archive trail through '08 and '09 it's easy to conclude that I primarily blog to promote things.

Catching right up to date, I can see that my text output has increased as more things have needed selling or explaining. My typing speed has not.

I'm confident that if project Sidepodcast ended tomorrow, my writing would cease along with it. There just isn't a burning desire within me to type anything.

All for F1

A year or so ago, we had a problem with people suggesting that we were F1 journalists, or reporters, or some such thing that we weren't comfortable with. For me, Sidepodcast was never a stepping stone into the Formula 1 circus, it wasn't a way to showcase any skills to the wider world, it was simply a vehicle with which Christine and I could work together. To that end it's work incredibly well, despite all the writing I've had to do.

This final Thursday Thoughts question closes the 2009-2010 off-season for me, and I've appreciated reading every question and all the posts that have spilled forth from them. I may not give so much back as some, but I love being a part of the F1 community.

We're Off to See Joe!

This is the live thread we promised for our trip to London for the Evening with Joe. It's not clear how much we'll be in contact, but it's useful to have a thread just in case. Having said that, I know Alex is taking multiple Apple devices. We can use this thread for the many, many, many pictures from him, and we'll try and get a word in sometimes as well.

Hopefully we can give you a little insight if you can't actually make it to London, and it might spur you on to snap up tickets to the next Evening with Joe event.

We'll be keeping an eye on the comments, so if you have any burning questions you'd like us to throw at Joe, we'll see if we can get them answered.

The event starts at 7pm, but no doubt Mr C will be live commenting the journey to London as I do the driving. We will see you in and around the comments!

Updated: Joe has posted an update from the venue. Just half an hour to go.

Updated: Some mobile pics (sorry the lighting is a bit iffy):

• Joe getting ready
• The people, they are arriving
• The Three Amigos
• @mrschristine in her work pod
• An Evening with Joe begins
• Watching and listening to Joe talk

Live: Giggles Radio - D

Don't dare deviate! Get down during Giggles Radio D! Develop your docile dwelling-mates into dancing demons by dominating the den with the demerara sounds of Giggles Radio D.

Welcome to Giggles Radio Episode D. Each show our host Alex Andronov demonstrates his deft handling of a mixing desk by playing around two hours of songs themed around a letter. This week the letter is D.

Playlist

• Stereophonics – Dakota
• Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me [Feat. Calvin Harris & Chrome]
• Toploader – Dancing In the Moonlight
• ABBA – Dancing Queen
• Arctic Monkeys – Dancing Shoes
• Electric Six – Danger (High Voltage)
• Gorillaz – Dare
• The Rolling Stones – Dandelion
• T.Rex – Debora
• Beck - Debra
• Beatles, The – Day Tripper
• Right Said Fred – Deeply Dippy
• Babyshambles – Deft Left Hand
• The White Stripes – The Denial Twist
• King Kurt – Destination Zululand
• Richard, Cliff – Devil Woman
• Quatro, Suzi – Devil gate drive
• Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
• The Beautiful South – Don’t Fear The Reaper
• Yazoo – Don’t Go
• The Communards – Don’t Leave Me This Way
• The Thrills – Don’t Steal Our Sun
• The Spinto Band – Direct to Helmet
• The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize??
• No Doubt – Don’t Speak
• Dylan, Bob – Don’t think twice it’s alright
• Simple Minds – Don’t You
• Nirvana – Drain You
• Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
• The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain – Dy-Na-Mi-Tee

Don't desert the comments, dog!

Live: Giggles Radio - C

Can't concentrate? Caustic cacophony clogging your ears? Choose Giggles Radio.

It's Giggles Radio episode C! Each show we play 2 hours of music themed by starting letter. This week we see the letter C, but also 'cos I'd been by the Sea and Sea sounds like C there was a maritime quality to the collection.

Part 1

Part 2

Playlist

• Ash - Girl from Mars
• Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - Canyons Of Your Mind
• Mamas And The Papas, The - California Dreaming
• Carrie - California Screamin'
• Christina Aguilera - Candyman
• Gary Numan - Cars
• Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
• The Breeders - Cannonball
• T.Rex - Children Of The Revolution
• Eric Clapton - Cocaine
• J. Geils Band, The - Centerfold
• Wham! - Club Tropicana
• Charles Trénet - La Mer
• Belinda Carlisle - Circle In the Sand
• Stranglers - Peaches
• The Presidents of the United States - Peaches
• The Housemartins - Caravan Of Love
• Morrissey - Come Back To Camden
• Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
• Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia
• T'Pau - China In Your Hand
• David Bowie - Changes
• Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
• Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb
• Pulp - Common People
• Barry Manilow - Copacabana
• Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye
• Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - Cool Britannia

Sea you next time!

McLaren Reveal 2010 Chassis and Livery

Friday saw the McLaren team launch their 2010 F1 challenger during a ceremony at the Vodafone Headquarters in Newbury, UK. The covers were pulled back on the MP4-25 by drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Credit: mclaren.com

A side view of McLaren's elongated 2010 silver machine, the MP4-25.

The event began at 11:00 GMT and was successfully broadcast live to the internet in its entirety. The car again featured a silver livery not wildly differing from last year, while the chassis was notable for its extended 'shark-fin' engine cover. The underside of the nose features an unusual arrangement of turning vanes that should help direct airflow to the tightly packaged sidepod intakes.

The team's official press release described the revised bodywork as a "radical aerodynamic overhaul" and was keen to stress the importance of the ongoing relationship with engine partners, and now on track rivals, Mercedes.

Horsepower once again comes from our friends in Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz's FO 108X V8 subtly improves upon an engine which has become the benchmark in Formula 1, winning the last two drivers' world championships.

Credit: mclaren.com

The MP4-25 front and center, featuring Jenson Button's number one atop the nose.

New team member, Jenson Button was ecstatic to see his world champion's number one displayed on the nosecone for the first time.

"I’m incredibly proud to be standing here today knowing I'll be carrying the number one for the whole season: that's a great responsibility but also a great honour. It's something I’m relishing. It looks so cool too!"

"I've got a great team around me, and I already feel very at home here. I just can't wait to get in the car and start driving again. It really can’t come soon enough!"

Meanwhile, team mate Lewis Hamilton spoke of his faith in the team's strength in depth.

"We have a tremendous engineering team – people who have been here for many, many years and who have worked with some of the sport’s greatest champions and helped design and build some of Formula 1's most iconic cars. They really want to deliver another fantastic car for the 2010 season."

The car will run for the first time during testing in Valencia on Monday.

Apple to Unveil New Product Today, We'll Take Three Please

Sidepodcast has not jumped the shark, I promise. There's a tenuous F1 connection here somewhere.

As we've mentioned several times in the past, the entire Sidepodcast project is built upon the product foundations that Apple have built and we've long since come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be possible to do what we do with anything else.

Later on Wednesday, the entire of the technology world will be looking in the direction of San Francisco, where Apple are holding a media event to launch a new product. The sensible money says it will be a tablet shaped product.

Proceedings kick off at 6pm GMT and we'll be specifically looking for announcements that directly affect what we do including:

• Improvements to video quality - Currently the size and quality of our F1 video podcasts are tied directly to what the iPhone will support. Might we see improvements in this area?
• Podcasts in the cloud - Will the iTunes eco-system see personal content made available online, and if so will that change how media is consumed?
• Tablets everywhere - How portable and affordable will the rumoured device be, and can we make use of one or more of them in a live streaming environment?

Admittedly very little of this is specifically F1 related, but any hardware or software improvements will likely reflect on the kind of Formula 1 coverage Sidepodcast is able to provide this year.

We'll be following the launch via words and pictures on the Endgadget's Live Blog and will keep this post up-to-date with any relevant announcements. If you're interested in joining the fun, we'll be ticking off the rumours with this handy Prediction Score Card and posting updates in the comments too.