From LifeHacker: “The latest entry into news-based iPhone apps, ABC News offers top stories, location-specific news alerts, and videos from shows like Good Morning America and 20/20. Take a look at a few screenshots.”
What does this mean for local ABC affiliates? Why won’t every news organization offer an app like this? Will I still turn on the ABC World News when I get home in the evening, or will I already have seen the news?
Tagged as:
iPhone,
iPod
I received the following email yesterday:
"Terrestrial radio is in bigger trouble than ever, I am convinced. I just finished driving down a highway in rural (state), listening to streaming music on the free Pandora Radio app for my upgraded version 2.0 iPhone. This was via edge, not 3G.
Pandora plays randomized songs. But when an all-you-can-eat music service (maybe Apple’s, someday) has this same kind of app, it’s game over for music radio. I’ll be able to listen to any song I want while driving, and won’t even have to load it on my iPod before leaving.
Sent from my iPhone"
If you are unfamiliar with Pandora, it works like this: I enter the name of a song or artist. Pandora creates a "station" that plays music like the example I submitted. I "like" or "dislike" each song and Pandora keeps tweaking my play-list accordingly. I can have as many stations as I choose. Just music. No annoying DJ’s. No commercials.
If I’m the program director of an "only the hits" radio station, should I be concerned about this technology? I can’t please all the people, all the time. But all of the people can please themselves, all of the time. What is my Plan B?
Tagged as:
iPhone,
iPod
Cover story on Broadcasting & Cable looks at how some local TV stations are "rediscovering" high school football:
"Vital to high school football’s rise in popularity is the fact that technology has finally reached a point where the typical teen, raised on YouTube, can easily upload video and share highlights from that night’s game. Station managers say the interactive nature of new media — whether it’s user-generated video, scores or trash-talking — is a critical component of their school content.
Hearst-Argyle Television has taken the interactive concept a step further, training students in seven markets to be “sideline reporters” for its social-networking platform High School Playbook. A total of 60 students shoot high-def cameras, edit and post their work on the Web site."
The good news –and the bad news– is this is no longer the turf of any medium. I know TV, cable and newspapers are jumping in. I hope there are radio stations doing them same. How hard would it be?
Let’s say there are 10 HS football teams within the range of my station’s signal. I recruit and train 10 reporters (and 10 back-up’s) on how to shoot/edit game highlights. They upload same to the station YouTube channel (sponsored, of course) and we promote like mad. Incentive? Maybe some pocket money. Best video of the season wins a video iPod (others get iPod Shuffles and iTunes gift cards).
Tagged as:
iPod,
newspapers
From INSIDE RADIO: "Polk Audio will announce the next generation of HD Radio tuners that will establish a direction connection between HD and iPods — and in the process bring e-commerce to HD. In an alliance with Apple, Polk’s new I-Sonic ES2 HD Radio will include an iPod docking station that features a “tagging button” which will allow listeners to buy songs they hear on HD Radio stations via iTunes. The advancement requires HD stations to encode their signals and insiders say eight radio groups have committed to encoding."
I don’t know. Maybe.
Tagged as:
iPod
Instant Karma (The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur). And even more surprised at how many of the songs/versions I like.
R.E.M., Christina Aguilera, Corrine Bailey Rae, Flaming Lips, Black Eyed Peas, and others. Listening to these interpretations reminded me what a brilliant song writer John Lennon was.
This is the kind of purchase I would never have made before iTunes. I stopped buying CD’s a looonnng time ago. For the most part, I had stopped listening to music. The iPod/iTunes has brought me –and a bazillion others– back.
Tagged as:
iPod
Amusing gag site: "You made a smart choice in choosing an iPod. And now you can protect it from theft and still enjoy using it in public with the new Hide-a-Pod anti-theft case.
It’s really very simple. Just tell us what iPod model you want to protect and we provide a gutted and hinged Zune with our custom molded iPod casing adapter."
And they "only use brown Zunes for the maximum anti-theft protection." Ouch.
Tagged as:
iPod
"The iPhone will flop because it doesn’t work with corporate email." Yep, that’s a problem. For some folks, not for me. I don’t use Outlook outside of the office. If I want to check my corporate email from home or on the road, I log in to our Exchange server from a web browser.
At tonight’s Mac user group, George logged me in from his iPhone and –while you can’t sync– you can check your corporate email from the iPhone. [Video runs 2 min]. This little snippet doesn’t capture the cool… I offer it here just to mess with Phil (head of Learfield IT).
As good as the (pro) Apple demo videos are, they do not capture the…experience. You gotta hold this thing in your hands. I don’t recommend that until you’re ready to buy.
Tagged as:
iPhone,
iPod
Mark Ramsey wonders:
“Apple moved more iPhones in three days than the radio industry has moved HD Radios in three years. Now, strictly speaking it’s not fair to compare a tech phenomenon to the many that are not. Then again, very few tech gadgets have hundreds of millions of dollars of complimentary on-air support and the power of the radio industry behind them.
The consumer is speaking volumes with numbers like these. Are you listening to what he’s telling you? Sure, HD Radio chips will be tiny and efficient enough to slip into mp3 players and mobile phones by 2008. But has anyone asked whether or not consumers will want them there?”
Tagged as:
iPhone,
iPod,
Mark Ramsey