Time-shifting internet radio – just like podcasts
One of the strengths of podcasts is the control the audience has over where and when they consume the content they are interested in. Tapping into this, traditional radio has been repurposing existing content into podcast format – the BBC in the UK being a prime example. But there is a huge amount of streaming content out there on the web which does not have this time-shifted advantage.
Audio Hijack developer Rogue Amoeba , are attempting to close the gap between internet radio and podcasting with a new application called Radioshift . Looking unsurprisingly like iTunes, the application allows you to search a large library of online radio streams and set up recording schedules so you do not have to miss your the programming just because you are not near your computer at just the right time.
This has been possible for a while with AudioHijack Pro , but that was fiddly and very manual process to locate content and schedule recordings. Radioshift makes things a lot easier. In addition, add a Griffin Radio Shark (under £30) to your setup, and Radioshift will integrate with it allowing you to schedule recordings straight from AM and FM radio. That’s even better than the BBC’s podcast offering as it will be complete unedited versions of the original radio programming.
Integration with iTunes and links to edit the audio files after recording, as well as a choice of recording formats and compression, gives this app some real usability. I’d like to see the interface a little less clunky-looking though, right now fonts and icons are just a tad too large to give you that real slick, professional feel, and I’d like to see a much broader selection of available streams in their directory. A great start though, and a useful tool if you like the convenience and control of podcast subscription, but want complete control over what you can choose to listen to and when.
Thanks for the write-up Neil, looks like one of these is definitely in my future
- Neil.
Both cute and shiny!
By the way, please stop showing my Neil more shiny things to buy and play with, I am trying to stop myself buying drawing books and art materials all the time as it is! ;-p
Just kidding. *hugs* my Neil…
Natalie… you know he pays me to do it just to redress the balance, right?
LOL!
- Neil.
Interesting you also have one of these. I got mine in the US last year when they came out, and was very impressed by the quality.
It works perfectly as an input device on Vista, although it took them a little while to get the drivers out.
The controls are definitely a weak point – you need small fingers and a warped mind to navigate them. That said, once you know what you need, it’s straight forward enough.
Without the windshield it looks a bit like a taser.
Hey phil! Delighted to see you still frequent this little backwater of the interweb now and then. Hope you are well and life is good!
just wanted to say, we picked up one of these a couple of weeks back. we wandered into SoundControl, asked if they had any in stock and they produced a whole heap of them.
i think the casing’s a big dodgy and the PMD 600 offer better build quality though. tis a fine bit of equipment though.