Thanks, if you bought the iCal/Google app

Wow, I had no idea so many of you were on Macs and wanted to auto-sync between iCal and Google calendar. The other day I posted about Spanning Sync, the nifty little app that works like a dream.

To promote its superiority over Google’s CalDAV, Spanning Sync is promoting itself with a win-win discount offer. After a 15-day free trial period, Spanning Sync usually costs $25 a year, but you can save $5 by using my discount code if you decide to buy it: WRBTS8

Sixteen of you have so far used the discount code. I’ve made eighty bucks. I thought I was going to make a big fat zero but I like the app anyway so I thought I’d give it a go.

I use it to create a sync-able Bike Dates thingy on Google Calendar. All of the major bike events for 2008 are here. Click to subscribe to the dates, if you use Google calendar.

Save five bucks on Spanning Sync

For a couple of years now I’ve released a sync-able Bike Dates thingy on Google Calendar. All of the major bike events for 2008 are here. To update the list of dates I don’t use Google, I use Spanning Sync, a nifty little Mac app that works like a dream.

If you use iCal to sync your dates to Google Calendar, you might be aware that Google recently released CalDAV support for Google Calendar. I’ve been playing with it, and have found it wanting in many areas. It’s fiendishly difficult to set up and calendars synchronized using CalDAV become read-only on the iPhone.

To promote its superiority over CalDAV, Spanning Sync is promoting itself with a win-win discount offer. After a 15-day free trial period, Spanning Sync usually costs $25 a year, but you can save $5 by using my discount code if you decide to buy it: WRBTS8

If you use my code I’ll get a $5 referral fee from Spanning Sync. Once you’re a subscriber you’ll get a referral code of your own to use. It’s a pretty cool viral offer from a pretty cool little apps maker.

Pack your bike for flying

Check out my latest vid. It was produced for Scicon bike bags of Italy and stars Quickrelease.tv commenter Karl McCracken of the Do The Right Thing blog. He’s now got a very nice bike porting device, useful for his tri-travelling.

See, if you comment on here you too could benefit from untold riches, perhaps sourced especially for you, from Nigeria.



PS
Karl really is that fast at packing a bike into a box, the film isn’t speeded up or anything…

“Ditched my use subcompact for a two wheel ride “

FreeCreditReport.com has produced a TV ad featuring a motorist ditching his car for a bike. Band members are also pulled along in trailers. It’s a fun ad.



Here are lyrics:

Check it out
Gas prices blowing up sky high
ditched my use subcompact for a two wheel ride
now i’m rollin eco-friendly
but i still look bad
when the bike store saw my credit
they said this was all they had
I’m singing
F to the
R to the
E to the
E to the
C to the
R to the
E D I T
Re to the
Port to the
Dot to the
Com
Come on everybody
grab your bike and sing along
It’s easy
F to the
R to the etc.

From Splendad.com via Fritz.

18,000 miles in 194 days: here’s the TV ad and 10-minute documentary

Cycle tourist Mark Beaumont, the British man who set out to break the around-the-world cycling record and finally achieved his goal earlier this year, is now starring in a TV ad for telecoms company Orange.

The ad is the second in the ‘Together We Can Do More’ campaign. The ad tells the story of Beaumont and was launched yesterday. It’s supported by poster, press, radio, and online ads.

The film, directed by Danny Kleinman, opens on Beaumont walking into a room with four large projection screens, four walls and a stationary bike in the centre. As Beaumont begins to pedal, his memories are projected onto the screens. The images represent his life’s journey - from childhood to the day he broke the record - and all the people that contributed to his achievement.

Justin Billingsley of Orange UK said: “The Mark Beaumont ad brings to life a thought-provoking inspirational story that people can reflect on.”

Here’s the ad:



It’s good but better is this ten-minute documentary describing Beaumont’s upbringing and the round-the-world trip itself and his motivation.
 

Bike-friendly espresso in a tube

Now that Interbike’s Rich Kelly has got his Mac back, he was able to cut a video he filmed at Sea Otter. It’s all about a new way to make the perfect cup of coffee, Kinetic Koffee, of course.

Cycle promotion 1950s style

Toon 1: “Fine state to be in. Fares are rising. Queues get longer. Tempers get shorter. Travel more crowded. Wastes far too much time.

Toon 2: “Not if you have a…bicycle…”

Love the world (it’s the only one we’ve got)

It may no longer go ga-ga after Lance, but the Discovery Channel sure is good at channel idents.

This video is going viral at the moment, and just in time for Earth Day, too. That’s tomorrow, folks.



Credit: 72andsunny agency

BikeBiz stable-mate gets Chopper out

As the executive editor of BikeBiz I get to hand out the Industry Achievement Award at October’s BikeBiz Awards 2008, which will be held alongside the Cycle Show.

BikeBiz is owned by Intent Media of Hertford and this publishing company has a bunch of market-dominating trade mags, including MCV, a weekly trade mag for the gaming industry.

This mag held its awards bash in London last week and kicked off the posh event with a brilliant video, featuring gaming industry bigwigs singing and playing air-guitar. I love the fact there’s a bike reference right at the start of the vid. The Nintendo marketing team dressed up as school kids and one exec puffed and panted on a Raleigh Chopper.

It’s an extremely well-produced video and will be required viewing for industry types. I’m chuffed that I sold BikeBiz to such a top-notch outfit.

Trek meeting: mystery revealed

So, this what was yesterday’s press call was all about: Trek suing Greg Lemond, in answer to Greg Lemond suing Trek.