VoiceIndigo has announced a worldwide partnership with Samsung to bring podcasting to Samsung mobile phones. Samsung Mobile Podcasts by VoiceIndigo will be pre-loaded on Samsung mobile phones. The first model with the service is now shipping, the Samsung UpStage.

VoiceIndigo is a free service that lets users manage their podcasts via a simple web interface. The service is designed to make it easy for users to listen to their favorite podcasts anywhere. Categories include sports, comedy, entertainment, news, business, and music.

Users can manage their podcasts via a web interface accessible at and access them through a wide variety of devices, such mobile phones and PCs. As users upgrade their handsets, they do not need to reconfigure their content. Their preferences and content choices are automatically synchronized to the new phone. 

Musikmesse: Alesis has introduced the iMultiMix 8 USB Mixer with professional mixing and direct-to-iPod recording. The mixer features a built-in dock that lets you record through the mixer directly to any 2nd through 5th generation iPod.

The iMultiMix 8 USB is the world’s first mobile recording mixer with iPod transport controls and a control wheel built right into the surface for control of the iPod while it is being docked in the mixer. Files recorded into the iPod are CD quality, 16-Bit, 44.1 kHz .wav files, and are transfered to your computer next time you sync your iPod.

Mac OS and Windows users can connect to the iMultiMix 8 USB using USB for direct to computer recording as well. In addition to its computer connectivity, the iMultiMix8 USB offers eight analog inputs, one hundred 28-Bit effects, phantom power, and 2 switchable mic/line/guitar inputs.

The iMultiMix 8 USB has the same effects as the Alesis MultiMix 8 USB, one of the most popular recording mixers available. Vocalists can add professional quality reverb and guitar players can create flange effects, all of which are mixed and recorded to the iPod.

The iMultiMix 8 USB is scheduled to ship in Q3 2007 with a suggested retail price of $499.

Apple announced this morning that the 100 millionth iPod has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history.

The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle.

“We want to thank music lovers everywhere for making iPod such an incredible success,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPod has helped millions of people around the world rekindle their passion for music, and we’re thrilled to be a part of that.”

The iPod has also led to an “iPod economy” of over 4,000 accessories, ranging from cases to speaker systems to iPod vibrators and iPod toilet paper dispensers. More than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles currently offer iPod connectivity.

Apple TV is quickly becoming a hot platform for development, with developers adding RSS support, game emulation and even turning the Internet media router into a full-fledged Mac computer.

Apple TV RSS Plugin, above, is a basic RSS reader. It currently reads RSS 1.x/2.x feeds, but not Atom.

Here’s how it displays an Engadget post:

The developers plan to add video podcasting support to the plugin. This would let you access video podcasts directly from the Internet, instead of using your computer.

Media aggregator Azureus has introduced Vuze, a new Internet video community. Formerly code-named Zudeo, the site already attracts more than two million unique monthly visitors. Vuze lets content providers distribute high resolution, long-form content in High Definition or DVD quality over the Internet.

‚ÄúVuze recognizes that the next generation online video experience lies within the integration of licensed and self-published content showcased in a theater-like viewing environment,‚Äù said Gilles BianRosa, CEO of Azureus. ‚ÄúThe millions who make up the Vuze community–publishers, editors and viewers–can share long-form video and download licensed content, and experience it in High Definition on their own computer or plasma screen.‚Äù

For content providers, Vuze serves as an alternative, low-cost distribution and marketing platform to distribute High Definition content. There’s no cost for publishing content via Vuze.

Vuze requires a Windows-only application, which can be download for free from the site.

Here’s video of the flash mob that hit London’s Victoria Station Friday:

More views of the controlled pandemonium:

An iPod flash mob party took over London’s Victoria Station Friday. An estimated 4,000 dancers turned up for the spontaneous event before four vanloads of police moved in to break up the gathering.

The Victoria Station flash mob started at 6.53pm. 4,000 partiers did a 10-second countdown before the scheduled time and then erupted, dancing for two hours until the police arrived.

Here are the “rules” for mobile clubbing:

Mob image: chrisjohnbeckett

Microsoft is changing its tune on DRM-free music. The company is now planning to follow Apple’s lead, selling music from EMI DRM-free.

“The EMI announcement on Monday was not exclusive to Apple,” said Katy Asher, a Microsoft spokeswoman on the Zune team. “Consumers have made it clear that unprotected music is something they want. We plan on offering it to them as soon as our label partners are comfortable with it.”

As recently as February, Jason Reindorp, marketing director for Microsoft‚Äôs Zune portable media player, called Steve Job’s challenge to the music industry to drop DRM “irresponsible, or at the very least na√Øve.”

Marketwatch’s Bambi Francisco is leaving her role of the last eight years for a new role, as a Internet media entrepreneur at Vator.tv. The site is described as “a place where entrepreneurs can share their ideas with the rest of the world through video.”

“Vator.tv began as a little garage project that I started last year to help me vet startups’ pitches and to give exposure to those I’d invariably overlook as a columnist,” explains Francisco. “I mentioned the idea to Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and manager of the $2 billion hedge fund Clarium Capital. Peter saw value in such a vetting mechanism, and he asked if he could invest. I told Peter that it was just an experiment at the time. But if the platform reached 50 videos, then perhaps it was worth investing in. Peter currently owns less than 5%. This was the genesis of Vator.tv, whose name is short for “innovator” or “elevator” (as in “elevator pitch”), and which today is a very small, non-revenue-generating asset.”

Francisco is leaving Marketwatch because of growing conflicts of interest with her role there and her involvement with Vator.tv.

“The understanding had always been that if it got to a point at which I could not proceed without conflicts of interest, then I would leave MarketWatch to focus on Vator.tv,” said Francisco. “I have decided to run Vator.tv full-time, and I believe in the company.”

YouTube has announced a new channel for political videos, Citizentube,. As YouTube’s political video blog, Citizentube’s mission is “to add fuel to the revolution that is YouTube politics.”

What is YouTube politics? The answer to that question is as varied as the users who jump onto the platform. But it’s one thing for certain: a place where everyone, from users to candidates, has the same chance to be seen and heard. Let the best ideas win.

Already we’ve seen players from all over the political spectrum using YouTube in powerful ways. A bone marrow drive broadcast on YouTube brought 1,000 donors to help a stranger. A video series on Iraq has begun to bring a human face to the war. And a message from an American politician in Spanish reached across cultural barriers through YouTube.

It looks like YouTube wants to highlight political discussions on the site in order to leverage the growing importance of Web video in politics.

Here’s the first video they’ve posted: