Sidepodcast is today turning its F1 coverage up to eleven, with the release of the all new Factbyte Factbox. The interactive web panel enables us to provide real-time updates on any live event, be it an F1 session, another motorsport event or live streaming podcast.
Factbyte Factbox (FBFB) was first proposed back in April 2009 and has been something we've been keen to see launched for a very long time. Back in April, we described it thus:
Designed to take live shows and live racing to the next level, the FBFB will provide a secondary stream of information, highlighting any relevant data depending on circumstance. For example, offering up-to-date scoring during a panel show, or listing the closest battles during a race.
Almost one year on and that is exactly what we're launching today. Additionally, we're planning on using the tool to augment future live streaming podcasts, providing real-time show notes and enabling interaction via live voting, results of which will be fed back into recordings.
We should point out that what we're launching today isn't the final iteration of the web panel. It carries a "beta" tag because it is a service that's still undergoing heavy development. However, we felt that this was something that should be available from the very start of the F1 season, and thus we're opening the doors today. We're expecting teething troubles coupled with rapid development for the next few months.
If you're interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, the live commenting page currently houses the FBFB. The plan is to make it available via other pages in due course. Furthermore, we'll be running a live beta test at 21:45 GMT, should anyone be available to offer feedback.
Updated: The live test has now finished, but you can view the full list of updates below:
Session Started:
09/03/2010 at 21:45 GMT
Session Ended:
09/03/2010 at 22:05 GMT
21:45
Hello to one and all. The Factbyte Factbox makes it's triumphant (second) debut.
21:46
Hello to Chris and Lukeh and Steven and Lou!
21:48
I intend to give you updates about the F1 sessions, great notes from the Twitterverse, and any fabulous comments from your good selves.
21:50
An excellent tweet from @sidepodcast: today is the last day to win a signed copy of "The Grand Prix Saboteurs": http://bit.ly/aSxbYB - entry closes at midnight (GMT) #f1
I like that Formula One business, you know. Cars and drivers and wheels and stuff.
21:54
Don't forget Christine's F1 Minute podcasts. Today's news: 09-Mar-10: McLaren Confident Rear Wing is LegalMcLaren are sure there is no problem with their designs, whilst Silverstone is almost done.
21:55
A great comment from RG: I think this means the LCLT is pretty much officially the second most awesomeness thing ever.
21:57
I hope everyone has checked out Autosport's rather funky 2010 Season Guide.
21:58
Lukeh has pointed out this LEGO! video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYda5CI3YVQ
Joe came to London to talk Formula 1 in February, and in part two of this special podcast the man returns to tackle more of Formula 1's difficult questions. A brief break gave attendees the chance to stretch their legs, before settling down for more insight from inside F1.
On the agenda in part two - Joe covers investing in the future of Formula 1 and self drive hill climbs, dangerous sports and keeping oneself young, plus art directors and the genius of Murray Walker. Finally the evening is wrapped up with a look at the mindset of a world champion and the motivation of a famous son.
On the 26th February, Joe Saward took to the stage at The Engine Group building in central London, to host his first ever "An Evening With..." event. Sidepodcast was there to capture all of the discussion and insight. Part one of this podcast covers the first half of the evening.
Topics of interest include - Joe's take on the current F1 field, the future of new teams and a classic case of Japanese bravery. Also on the agenda is the future of Formula 1 media coverage and where it all went wrong for the sport in the United States.
Sidepodcast is heading to our nation's capital tomorrow for the Evening with Joe that has been highly anticipated for many weeks now. We're going there both as fans and as crew, to record some audio and take some photos for a podcast to promote the event. In some ways it's sort of like An Aside with Joe Live.
We're running a competition at the moment to win a signed copy of Joe's book The Grand Prix Saboteurs, but if you're lucky enough to be attending, Joe will be selling and signing books at the event.
If you're planning on being there, please do let us know in the comments, and we'll do our best to match any new names to faces. Don't forget that part of the evening includes "a chance to talk informally on any subject you care to mention", so make sure you arrive armed with plenty of questions and your best speaking voice.
We'll also open up a thread for the Joe talk on Friday so that us and others can feed back what's happening to those unable to attend. We'll be recording audio during the main part of evening for a future podcast, although I don't think there are any plans to do anything in terms of video.
There's no F1 Debrief show this week, but we hope to have some Joe audio edited out for you over the weekend, so if you're attending the event tomorrow, you can relive it, and if you're not, you can catch up with some more of the man's thoughts.
Almost since the day Sidepodcast started creating videos, you'll have heard Christine bemoan the lack of a teleprompter. Remembering reams of text, under the pressure of hot studio lights while the cameras are rolling is no-one's idea of fun. Having something to fall back on is often a necessity.
Credit: Sidepodcast
Behind the scenes of the Sidepodcast Christmas special, Christine eyes up the shot. The ProPrompter can be seen above the camera and the GorillaPod legs wrap around the body.
The problem with most teleprompters, is that being somewhat specialist by nature, they have a habit of costing a pretty penny. By way of example, the small model we were looking longingly at was set to cost us £1,800. You can see why we've been putting it off for a while.
Reusing Existing Hardware
Thankfully there's an app for that, and when Bodelin Technologies released ProPrompter (iTunes link) for the iPhone / iPod Touch our quest for an affordable autocue system was over. Coming in at a far more reasonable £5.99, the application allows the iPod to act as a tiny teleprompting system.
True, the screen is a little on the small side for this role, but playback speed is variable, colours are customisable and loading content is straightforward. If nothing else, it's a considerable improvement on holding up sheets of A4 paper and manually swapping them as required. The iPod is mounted atop the camera via a Joby GorillaPod with suction pad attachment and will happily sit there for hours.
Lacking Presentation
It's little improvements such as this gem that make us motivated to create more video content this year. Incidentally, having looked into what other sites are offering in terms of F1 video, a trend we've noticed wherever we look, is the distinct lack of presenters hosting shows.
Neither Autosport TV nor GPUpdate TV seem to offer anything beyond stock footage and a voiceover track (which is almost exclusively male). Can finding an onscreen presenter be that difficult in this day and age? Maybe having a person in front of camera is something else we should be giving USF1 more credit for.
If you're doing any form of podcasting, be it video or audio, we highly recommend the ProPrompter solution. It reuses our existing hardware and the application has already paid for itself in time and effort saved.
Welcome our very first official Sidepodcast Competition, coming to you courtesy of Shell V-Power. We've played games, set challenges and held contests in the past, but this is the first time there has been a real prize on offer - and it's a good one.
MPH featuring Top Gear Live, is coming to Earl's Court in London and you can win a pair of tickets.
Before we get to the competition, first, a bit of background to the event. The annual MPH exhibition is dubbed The Prestige and Performance Motor Show, and features a collection of rather expensive sports cars including the Veyron and some others that aren't quite as gorgeous.
The more exciting part of the show is the inclusion of Top Gear Live arena, which attempts to turn the BBC television show into what Jeremy Clarkson describes as the "most spectacular motoring theatre show in the universe". Which is quite some claim. Jeremy will of course be present, along with Richard Hammond, James May and the anonymous guy in the white overalls.
I'll Get a Hammer
There are two of these events happening this year in the UK, so don't get confused and remember this competition is to win tickets to the Earls Court event, specifically for the 8th November, 2009. Doors open at 9.30am and close at 7.30pm, it is recommended that you arrive before 10:30am. There are several live performances throughout the day at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm.
In addition to watching the live show, the lucky winner and his/her guest will enjoy a 'behind the scenes' paddock tour, where they will get to go backstage, and meet with the show’s stunt drivers. The winner will then have the opportunity to experience the power and performance of Shell V-Power whilst riding in the stunt car during the Top Gear Live show.
How awesome does that sound?
All you have to do, to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, is to answer the following very simple question:
Question: Shell have a unique FMT formulation that is one of the added benefits when using V-Power fuel in your vehicle. What does FMT stand for in this instance?
Once you have your answer, submit your name, email address and answer using the form below.
NOTE: Entry to the Top Gear Live 2009 Competition has now closed. Thank you to all who participated.
Please note: Closing date for entries is midnight on Monday, 2nd November 2009 (GMT). Entries are restricted to one per person and we require a valid email address be submitted. Travel and accommodation is not included, entrants are expected to be in the UK and able to get to London of their own accord. Entrants must be aged 16 years or older.
To enter the competition, simply answer the question and complete the entry form published on the web site. By entering into the competition you agree to the terms and conditions stated herein and acknowledge that failure to comply with the rules may result in disqualification.
VIP tickets to Top Gear Live comprise of two tickets to the event. Not included in the prize are travel costs, accommodation, travel insurance and any other out of pocket costs.
Only one entry per person is permitted. Multiple or incomplete entries will be deemed to be invalid.
Unless otherwise stated, entries must arrive no later than the published closing date for the competition. Entries received after this time will be allowed only at the discretion of Editors who may extend the closing date without prior notice.
Proof of emailing will not be accepted as proof of delivery and no responsibility can be accepted for entries lost, delayed, mislaid or for any technical failure or for any event which may cause the competition to be disrupted or corrupted.
Employees of Sidepodcast, Shell or any associated companies, their agents or members of their families are not allowed to enter any competition. Subject to that rule the Editors' decision as to eligibility will be final.
All entries, photographs, and other material submitted as part of a competition entry shall become the property and the copyright of Sidepodcast. Editors reserve the right to publish them in whole or in part or use them in any way they think fit without the permission of the entrant or payment for such use but subject always to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1988.
Only one individual winner from the double package of tickets will have the opportunity to participate in the stunt vehicle. As such, all entrants must be 16 years or older in age.
Unless otherwise stated, Sidepodcast accepts no responsibility for the return of entries, photographs or other personal effects or for loss or damage to such items. Under no circumstances does Sidepodcast accept responsibility for the safe return of any material or its return in an undamaged condition or any liability for loss of or damage to such material.
Except where it is expressly stated that the winner will be the first correct entry drawn from the total entries submitted, or that some other mechanism will be applied, all competition entries will be examined and the prize or prizes will be awarded to the entry the judges consider to be the best. Other prizes will be awarded in accordance with the order of priority stated in the rules of the competition.
The Editors reserve the right to change the rules applicable to any competition or to void any competition at any time and for any reason. In the event that any competition is so voided, all entry fees will be returned. In particular, in the event of unforeseen circumstances the Editors reserve the right to offer alternative prizes of equal or greater value.
In the event of an error, howsoever caused, whether a printing error or otherwise and whether obvious or otherwise, which affects the competition in any way, the Editors reserve the right to administer the game as though the error had not occurred. Where the Editors deem it appropriate and/or feasible Sidepodcast will notify entrants of the error and correct it through the relevant medium.
If the winner of a competition is unable to take up a prize for any reason Sidepodcast reserves the right to award it to an alternative winner, in which case the first winner chosen will not be eligible for any share of the prize whatsoever.
Failure to comply with any of these rules may result in the disqualification of the entry. Editors reserve the right to disqualify any entry at their absolute discretion.
Editors' decisions are final in all matters concerning a competition. It is a condition of entry to any competition that the entrant agrees to be bound by these rules whether they be published in the relevant online editions of the newspaper or not, and that the decisions of Editors and judges on any matter whatsoever arising out of or connected with the competition are final.
By entering the promotion participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the terms and conditions which will be interpreted in accordance with English law and subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Good luck to everyone. Remember, you are only up against other readers and listeners of Sidepodcast and if you have any further questions, please let us know in the comments. You only have a week in which to enter, so don't delay.
Whilst Mr C continues to stick by the somewhat flaky Official F1 App, Bassano Clapper has undertaken some investigative reporting into the other motorsport related iPhone/iPod apps. Non-Apple fans look away now, please.
Whilst Bernie doesn't seem to be embracing 21st Century technology for F1, some of us are trying to. The iPhone is a perfect conduit for F1 related info and we were given an Official F1 App this summer. This doesn't come cheap in a store of free and inexpensive timekillers but there are alternatives out there. If you're willing to experiment a little, there are a few gems - as well as a few that are not so polished. I've tried a few of the free F1 apps and these are my thoughts.
F1 2009 - Go Go Go! Lite was the first to reach my device and I was initially impressed. At my fingertips were news articles, championship standings, an F1 calendar as well as team and driver profiles. Once these were browsed I soon figured out what I most wanted from a free F1 app: convenient, up-to-date, F1 related news. This is where Go Go Go! let itself down. All the stories came from one source (gpupdate.net) and sometimes there would be many days without a single update. There's the option to upgrade to the enhanced, paid edition of this app but on this demonstration, I felt no compulsion to try the full version out, even for small price of £1.19.
Formula 1 Live Racing was next on my list. Quite similar in style to the previous app, this ad-supported offering included basic circuit profiles but had the additional bonus of a gallery of some nice, full-screen photos. I had hoped these would be updated as the calendar rolled on, but sadly this was not the case. It promised in-race updates which I never tried because it wasn't on my handset long enough. Nothing terrible here, just not particularly noteworthy.
Verdict: A firm average Formula 1 Live Racing:Download
Eurosport is an eponymous app from the sports channel that has a decent background in Motorsport. Whilst it is not as comprehensive as some of it's rivals, it is executed well. It has regular, bitesized news updates, practice, qualifying & race results as well championship standings. The live lap-by-lap updates are a handy substitute if you can't see the action first hand. However, the biggest selling point of this freebie is probably the fact that F1 is only a small portion of its abilities. It covers MotoGP, World Rally and Touring Cars as well as a handful of other non-petrolhead sports. (They really exist?) The home screen can be customised with any 4 shortcuts to your chosen sporting field as well as an "All Sports" news reel. Verdict: A big thumbs up for this one which has stayed on my handset since it landed
F1 Insider is the final, as well as, my most-clicked F1 app. Simplicity works here, large full screen displays that scroll rather than squeeze in too much info. Countdowns to all the practice and qualifying sessions for the year, as well as the races themselves. It's best redeeming feature is the news feed. This is user defined by allowing you to select (and more importantly, de-select) where you receive your news from. Nine popular F1 News sites are listed; including AUTOSPORT, GrandPrix.com and the BBC F1 pages. Being able to ignore the sites that shall not be mentioned is a nice touch. This feature is essentially a pretty RSS reader that gives you the pages of some of your favourite sites in an iPhone configured page. However, this is the app that I like the most and chose to fork out some hard earned cash (well, just over a pound) for the feature added, paid edition. For £1.19 you also get live qualifying and race updates and a nice feature that let's you tag your favourite driver and team which highlights them in the points haul (for better or worse!). This app does pretty much everything that the others do, but is presented well, has regular, plentiful news updates and for me - it passes the finish line in first place.
Verdict: Passes the finish line in first place F1 Insider:Download
That covers some of the best and worst that the AppStore has to offer, but don't forget to give us your F1 App recommendations, we're always keen to try out more.
If you've not managed to catch an episode of the Parade Lap this year, you're missing out. It's a show unlike any other we do. Alex takes the reigns, it feels more like a radio show than a podcast, and it goes out live on a Sunday, one hour before the BBC's race coverage starts.
Last week's show was extra special, as we managed a live link-up with Scott who was hiding out behind the grandstands on Silverstone's main straight.
We could detail the complexities involved in setting up such a scenario, but I think Alex summed it up best in this comment, where he points out:
My favourite part of the show was that:
We were on a live link to Silverstone talking to Scott.
And I was sitting on a second live link.
And I read a question from the comments from Lukeh about Heidfeld’s beard.
And Scott knowing the community so well had already asked Heidfeld about the beard and could answer.
Something about the interconnectedness of it all was pretty mind-blowing.
Here's a snippet of the audio in question:
Two Skype links, one iPhone, a live streaming server and a question about a beard!
We've suffered from so many technical gremlins during live broadcasts in the past, that it's remarkable an event like this could ever happen in the first place. I'm sure the BBC aren't exactly shaking in their boots at our achievements, but we're pretty chuffed it all came to together when we needed it to.
A huge thank you has to go out to everybody who took part on Sunday. It cannot be done without you.
If you've been hanging out in the comments over the past 24 hours, you might have concluded that Sidepodcast quite likes the iPhone. A dearth of interesting Formula 1 news has meant we've been getting most of our kicks from technology updates planned by the people in Cupertino.
However, aside from announcements tenuously relating to plans we have for the future of Sidepodcast, there wasn't much to tie the new iPhone back to Formula 1. That was until I read Will Buxton's blog post this evening.
The man discusses the brand new, and more notably the official, F1 Timing Application available for purchase from the App Store. It's a good one, too.
Actually, the first time we heard mention of this thing was during 5Live's race broadcast on Sunday, when David Croft said both he and Anthony Davidson were using it to receive updates in the commentary box. Somehow we promptly forgot to look for it afterwards, but if it's good enough to be used when you're broadcasting live to the nation (and to the six fans who bothered to turn up in Turkey), it's good enough for me.
But what do you get for your money?
I'm Broke but I'm Happy
The software works during all live F1 sessions from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon. You're initially presented with an interactive circuit map that details all driver positions at any stage and you can select an individual driver to focus on. Weather data is continually updated, whilst a timely race order is also present.
Flip the device into landscape mode and you'll get a full screen live map, or hit the info tab for a more typical live timing display similar to that already provided via f1.com.
If a session has already finished, you can watch it back in real-time as often as you like, although data must be downloaded before playback. It probably goes without saying, but although this application runs just fine on the iPod Touch too, you'll still need an internet connection to receive any live updates.
A second screen provides circuit maps for every race on the calendar, current championship standings and driver bio's. A third offers a rather simple text description of any ongoing action (live commenting, it isn't!).
With One Hand in Your Pocket
In the UK the software sells in the App Store for £4.99, although it's not entirely clear if there are further charges to pay on a race-by-race basis.
It will work on current iPhone and iPod Touch models (and presumably also on the 3.0 update due next week). The code has been pulled together by a company called Soft Pauer and although this appears to be their first App Store submission they've done a fine, fine job of developing it.
Of note, the terms and conditions do state that software may collect anonymous data useage statistics, although apparently solely for quality control purposes.
That's pretty much all we know at the moment. We intend to road test the thing properly during the British Grand Prix weekend and will likely report back with details after that. It looks to all the world like it'll be a winner and Formula 1 has just taken a huge step forward in terms of giving fans more access to what's going on during a race.
Nick did point out earlier that this information should really be available on your desktop too, so we're keen to hear more thoughts and opinions on whether you think this is a good thing for F1 fans or not? Would you buy the F1 Timing App, or have you already?
Following on from the success of the first Character Cup, we are making things a little less personal by looking at the circuits themselves rather than those who drive on them. The matchups have been selected in a highly technical fashion (out of a hat) and the process can be viewed here.
From an admin point of view, there are 16 circuits, each from the 2009 calendar. We have dropped Abu Dhabi, as it hasn't yet been built, let alone had a chance to display what character it has. In this first round of matchups we will feature two battles - a total of four circuits. Each round will be up for 24 hours, with the poll being closed in time for the next round to appear - and that should be at 9pm BST each evening.
We'll be whittling the circuits down to crown the one with the most character, and you can follow the progress on the wiki. (Props to RG for creating the page almost seconds after the initial video was released.) Without further ado, let the voting commence.
Monza vs. Shanghai
This first matchup is a case of old versus new, as Monza has been a mainstay on the F1 calendar since the very beginning, whilst Shanghai appeared only in recent years. Whilst Monza may not have the facilities of the supposed state-of-the-art Chinese venue, there is a lot to be said for making your fans feel at home.
Monza vs. Shanghai
Monza 92% (119 votes)
Shanghai 8% (11 votes)
Total voters: 130
Interlagos vs. Valencia
It's impossible to write this little blurb about Valencia and Brazil whilst still remaining impartial. I am 100% certain which way the vote will swing on this one, and that would be the case even if the 2008 races at both venues weren't still reverberating around our minds.
