Buy Windows Products 
Buy Mac Products As a new owner of an iPhone, I am very happy with the whole experience. The device is great.
As a media geek, I’m finding it difficult to something basic. And Apple seems to be working against me. Here’s what’s frustrating:
I want to be able to update the media on my iPhone over-the-air. I want my Podcasts to be updated automatically, without having to sync with my PC. I also want to be able to email radio shows automatically recorded as MP3 files (using Replay A/V) to my iPhone, and then play them. (Think TiVo for the radio – on your phone!) For me, this would be the coolest. But no luck 🙁
On the Podcast side, an app called Podcaster promised to do just that sort of thing, but was rejected from the Apple store for no apparent reason.
On the Radio show side, Replay A/V is able to send me emails with links to download radio shows automatically recorded by my home PC. I was hoping to be able to send myself radio shows to listen to on my iPhone. But alas, Safari is “unable to download” files from these links. (The links are generated by YouSendIt, which is integrated into Replay A/V).
So, here are my theories:
Stupidity: Is Apple so dumb as to disallow significant over-the-air media transfers for no good reason?
Evil: Is Apple disabling this capability in order to enable their own service?
Weak: Is Apple being bullied by AT&T to disallow too much 3G data traffic? (Another app that let you use your iPhone as a laptop modem was also killed by Apple.)
This is also puzzling given the Pandora player, which is also a media downloader, and works great on the iPhone. There’s no way Apple could kill the Pandora app though, as it would create a huge outrage.
These uncertainties should be troubling to anyone seriously considering developing media enabled apps for the iPhone. And the authoritarian, opaque, random policies behind the app store really need to end, otherwise all the development talent will go to Android or some other truly open platform, the coolness of the iPhone notwithstanding.
Posts Tagged: radio
iPhone Media Downloads – is Apple Stupid, Evil, or Weak?
iPhone and Remote iTunes
Apple Insider has an article about a new Apple (AAPL) patent filing regarding iPhones accessing iTunes libraries from anywhere. The gist is that your desktop PC can have all your media (songs, videos, Podcasts, and more) on it, and your phone would be able to download and play anything from your desktop PC.
This would be a huge bonus for Replay A/V users. Imagine having your favorite radio shows recorded on a PC at home, imported to iTunes automatically, and available for listening wherever you are. This can be done now with the YouSendIt plug-in we provide (as you can email yourself recorded files automatically), but this mechanism would be much slicker.
Go Apple!
Breakthrough recording XM & Sirius Online
Replay A/V 8.4 is now available! This version is an exciting breakthrough for XM & Sirius customers. Now you can automatically schedule and record using Stream Capture, which lets you record two or more shows simultaneously, with perfect quality, and eliminates many tuning errors or problems with an “Are You Listening” prompt. No other software can do this.
If you’re into recording Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Opie and Anthony, or any of the other XM and Sirius shows you should give Replay A/V 8.4 a try!
Net Radio Reprieve
Custom radio services like Pandora or last.fm won’t have to shutter – yet. Sound Exchange has agreed to not enforce the new rates right away, most likely trying to head off congressional intervention.
Read the wired magazine article here.
Clear Channel Radio Online
In the past few days, Clear Channel has changed how their online radio stations work. They have made it harder to acquire a static URL that tunes properly to their stations. This is unfortunate, as it interferes with your legal right to automatically schedule recordings for listening later. A lot of online radio directories are similarly hosed.
Fortunately, we’ve come up with a solution in Replay A/V. If you’re looking to record a Clear Channel station, just open Replay A/V and add it from the Media Guide using the Shows menu option. Until Clear Channel changes something, this works great! If your station doesn’t work, just tell us, and we’ll update our radio station database.
Speaking of Clear Channel, poking around on their site uncovers some interesting discoveries. They are trying to compete with XM/Sirius in the content space with their new Format Lab service. And they have some interesting on-demand music and video content too.
Some people say Clear Channel is getting too large, but the innovation they are doing is pretty impressive, and they are poised to do to the online radio space what they’ve done to the terrestrial space. Watch out!
Google Audio Ads
This is one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in a while: Google is setting up an Adwords-like system to be able to place and track radio ads. It’s called Google Audio Ads.
No, this isn’t online advertising – these are ads placed on terrestrial AM and FM radio stations. Ads are tracked by a callback phone number in the ads itself.
Why would Google undertake something so far outside their core area of expertise? Either it’s incredibly stupid, or really smart.
Perhaps Google thinks it can take over another advertising area, duplicating the success of Adwords and Adsense. Adsense works well for the hosting sites, but in our experience it doesn’t do nearly as well as targeted keyword advertising. Radio ads are usually expensive to run and ineffective unless you have a huge budget.
The other possibility is that they are setting up infrastructure for local advertising of all kinds. Location-based ads are hot in the investment community, and show a lot of promise, so perhaps this is Google’s way of trying to dominate the sector before the other location-based technologies take hold.
Google Audio Ads an interesting development, but don’t be surprised to see it become a total flop.
YouSendIt and Applian Partnership
Replay A/V is going to have an interface to YouSendIt, so you can send recordings to yourself from one PC to another device. How cool is that!
Here’s the Press Release:
YouSendIt, Applian Partner to Record and Deliver Large Streaming Media Files Via the Web
Partnership Allows Customers to Retrieve Recorded Online Media Anywhere
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & SAN ANSELMO, Calif. — YouSendIt, Inc., the leader in web-based file delivery for business and Applian Technologies, the global leader in software products for recording streaming media, today announced a partnership that will allow Applian customers to retrieve their recorded media anywhere they have Internet access. The combined offering will enable users to capture, convert and send media with Applian’s Replay A/V 8 and YouSendIt’s Web based file transfer service.
The YouSendIt Plug-In for Applian’s Replay A/V 8 is the first to allow users to send streaming media files directly from within the application. Customers can set up file transfer to start automatically after the recording is completed.
“YouSendIt is known to be very easy to use,” says Ivan Koon, CEO, YouSendIt. “The integration into Replay A/V 8 allows users to send files directly from within the application, eliminating the pain associated with using FTP or burning a CD and sending it via overnight mail.”
“We are excited to partner with YouSendIt — building the ease of use, speed, reliability and security of YouSendIt’s solution into Replay A/V 8 will help our customers record, convert and then retrieve their favorite recordings anywhere they have Internet access,” said Bill Dettering, CEO, Applian. “The combined solution will be the most powerful and versatile recording program on the market. Our customers will now be able to enjoy their favorite shows wherever and whenever they like.”
Replay A/V makes it easy to record all types of online media. Several hundred thousand Applian customers already benefit from the ability to record almost any streaming audio and video instantaneously, or schedule recordings to happen automatically later. The integrated Replay Media Guide lets users pick shows to record with a single click. Replay A/V is the only software that combines Stream Capture, Audio Recording and an Enhanced Podcast Client in one easy-to-use interface.
The Replay A/V YouSendIt integration will allow users to receive captured streaming media files anywhere. For example, a home PC can record a radio show, and customers will be able to listen to that show while at work or travelling.
Replay A/V with YouSendIt service will be available in March 2007, with a beta version in February.
About YouSendIt
YouSendIt is the leader in file delivery for business. The company is based in Mountain View, CA and offers professionals in small and medium businesses a reliable solution to move and track large files. Proprietary technology and enterprise-level server farms on both coasts guarantee excellent response and reliability. YouSendIt offers three business subscription plans and a pay-per-use plan, in addition to a free service. With over two and a half million registered users from 220 countries, YouSendIt transfers over 1 million files per day — over 400 million to date. YouSendIt is led by its CEO, Ivan Koon, former SVP, Enterprise Intelligent Documents Business Unit at Adobe, and funded by Alloy Ventures and Sevin Rosen Funds.
For more information and to send a big file via YouSendIt, please visit http://www.yousendit.com.
About Applian Technologies
Applian Technologies is recognized as the global leader in software products for recording streaming media. Other popular Applian products include the Audio Video Streaming Capture Suite, Replay Music, Replay Converter, and Replay Screencast. Learn more about Applian Technologies and all their products at http://www.Applian.com
Contacts:
YouSendIt,
Inc. Florian Brody,
650-265-0520 (Media) Sr. Director Marketing Communications [email protected] or Atomic PR (for YouSendIt) Mike Barash,
415-402-0230 (Media) [email protected] or Applian Technologies Leslie Bee,
415-608-2263 (Media) Director of Marketing [email protected]
PERFORMance Anxiety
Looks like the PERFORM act just won’t die. This is the nonsense legislation – sponsored by the RIAA – that would force satellite, digital, and Internet radio providers (but not over-the-air radio) to implement measures designed to restrict the ability of listeners to record audio from the services.
On the Internet side, given the plethora of radio stations all over the world, this would basically kill American Internet radio.
You can read more from Ars Technica.
Once you’re sufficiently outraged, contact your senators here.
Replay A/V 8 Released
The long awaited update to Replay A/V is here! Version 8 offers several usability enhancements, and offers unparalleled support for Flash (FLV) Videos from sites like YouTube, MySpace, Gogle Video and more. And it’s still the best way to record all your favorite radio shows.
– Resizeable window
– Fully integrated with Replay Converter
– Improved URL finder: more supported network cards and also finds downloaded videos from the browser cache
– YouTube, Google Video and customizations for other video download sites
– TV Tuner card and Webcam support
– New MediaPaks let you record all the popular shows in interest categories like Politics, Business or Technology with a single click.
– Custom MP3 tags
– new simplified interface
– Over 60 enhancements!
If you already own Replay A/V, you can learn more and upgrade for just $9.95 from here:
http://www.applian.com/replay-av/upgrade8.php
Check it out!
PERFORM act will kill Internet Radio
I just received this email from iPAc (reprinted in full):
Few power plays are as blatant and harmful as the PERFORM Act (S. 2644)
from northern California’s own Dianne Feinstein. Simply put, PEFORM revokes
your right to tape radio shows while imposing draconian DRM on all internet
radio.
The Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) explicitly allows a person to record
radio programs for their own personal use. In exchange, we all pay a
Hollywood Cartel tax on some blank CDs and tapes. It’s a bill that has
served us well for over a decade, but now with advanced satellite radio
receivers that allow paying subscribers to time shift their favorite
programs the Hollywood Cartels are asking for ‘backsies’ on the AHRA.
Always eager to please her real constituents in Hollywood, Dianne Feinstein
stepped up to the plate and introduced PERFORM.
But, if overturning the AHRA wasn’t enough, Feinstein slipped in a
provision that changes the Copyright Act to force Internet radio stations
to impose the most severe and draconian DRM possible. All of the Internet
radio stations that you know and love will be forced to abandon MP3
streams. Innovative companies like Pandora are already heavily burdened and
taxed by the DMCA, forcing them to spends additional money to license DRM
is an undue burden.
Who does Dianne Feinstein represent? Is it Northern California, the
economic engine for the entire state and the nation? Or is it Southern
California, the repressive monopolists that seek to limit expression and
technology?
You can find out how you can stop Senator Feinstein’s PERFORM Act at
http://ipaction.org/action/perform
Thanks very much for your continued support of IPac.
Sincerely,
Jake Fisher
Executive Director
IPac.org