DavidBreyer.Com

I have been promising for a while to podcast some of the other OTR dramas that I have. Now that I got the Superman podcast automated I am ready to do another. As some of you may have seen I didn’t always keep up with the uploading of the Superman OTR podcast. Well I was editing the XML file by hand, literally typing it in then uploading the MP3 manuallly. Well I am not good at repetitive tasks, which is why I picked the occupation of computer programmer. I created an applcation in Microsoft .NET called Autocast. This console app will automatically edit the XML file and then upload both the new XML file and Mp3 to the server. There will be more on that later.

Any rate, the point of this post is that I am now ready to podcast the Nero Wolfe radio drama. There are not many of these, only 23 in fact. And unlike the Superman OTR, which are 10 minutes, the Nero Wolfe episodes are 30 minutes. So I am going to do one per week. A new episode will be released every Sunday.

You can subscribe to Nero Wolfe through feedburner.

I have been using the Griffin iTrip to listen to my iPod in the car since February. I never did like the fact you had to program the iTrip with the frequency using the iPod interface. On several occasions the iTrip would “forget” what frequency to use and me not liking to keep the frequency programmers on the iPod (more on that later) would be in for a very dull commute. if I did have the iTrip frequency “tunes” (They are actually mp3 files that program the iTrip.) on the iPod they would advertently get played and screw up the iTrip. Which was easy to do if you used the iPod’s shuffle feature. And resetting the iTrip was an ordeal that only following the step by step instructions could fix. In other words, can’t do while driving.

Anyway, on my commute home Friday the iTrip got screwed up for the last time. It was the final straw. I recalled Griffin had announced an iTrip with a built-in tuner. So I went straight away to the Apple store in the Kenwood Towne Centre and purchased one.

The new iTrip allows you to adjust the frequency with the roll of a dial. Oddly though the frequency I actually used in not available in this model. For anyone using 87.9 you will have to find another channel. The iTrip begins on 88.1. I eventually settled on 90.1 90.5, although I will have to see if it works on my 35 mile commute. I swear there is a radio station for just about every .1 of the dial. My logic dictates that there should be a small sprectrum of radio frequency left untouched for portable consumer devices. Say 80.1 - 89.9 or something. I mean if 192.168.1.x can be used for every router why didn’t we think to do this with radio frequencies?

My intial findings are; unless $40 is too steep for you or if 87.9 is the only free frequency in your area, there is no reason not to upgrade. Now it’s time to remove these annoying iTrip MP3 files.

The first software update to actually be released early. That’s right, this update to iTunes wasn’t expected until next month. This update was promised by Steve Jobs himself and adds podcasting support directly within iTunes.

Manage Podcasts. Select subscription options and download your favorite podcasts automatically.

The last few updates have been adding new features like this to iTunes. 4.8 added support for Quicktime videos. Fueling rumors of a Video iPod. And 4.7 added support for PDF files. iTunes makes a great way to manage your PDF library by the way.

The entire feature list for iTunes 4.9:

iTunes for Mac & PC.
iTunes, the #1 music download store and jukebox software, now makes podcasting as easy as iPod.

• Music Store
  - Best Selection. More than 1.5 million tracks and 1,000 independent labels with 30-second previews.
• Shop Easily - Shop Easily. Buy entire albums or single tracks. Give gift certificates or set an allowance for the kids.
• Find music fast. - Find Stuff Fast. Search for any artist, song, album or podcast on the store with virtually instant results.
• Discover Music - Discover Music. Browse Billboard and radio station charts, music videos, and free weekly downloads.
• Manage Podcasts - Select subscription options and download your favorite podcasts automatically.
• Share Your Taste - Share Your Taste. Send a friend music links in an email with cover art or share an iMix with everyone.
• Listen to Audiobooks - Listen to Audiobooks. Choose from more than 11,000 best-sellers, classics and radio programs.
• Import Music - Import Music. Gather all your music in one place in AAC, MP3 or Apple Lossless format.
• Party Shuffle - Create Playlists. Generate lists of your favorites. Dig deep into your library with Party Shuffle.
• Share Music - Share Music. Let the whole family listen to your collection in any room on Mac or Windows.
• Burn CDs - Burn CDs. Burn any playlist. Create CD inserts with mosaics of cover art and track lists. Make backups.
• Sync with iPod - Sync your music, podcasts, audiobooks and photos; enjoy them on the go.

As always you can download the latest version of iTunes at Apple.com.

Sadly, Apple chose not to support BitTorrent, so I stil have to use iPodder for my downloading my podcasts.

Sure G4 is the new MTV, full of mindless garbage. The Whip Set anyone? But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. With these links YOU TOO CAN recreate the experience of having actual INTELLIGENT content to watch (or listen to.)

These are placed in order of how I rank them.

1. This Week In Tech - The end all be all of tech podcasts. No more needs to be said. You know what this is, everyone knows one this is.
2. Open Source - Open Source will not be a show about blogs. It will use blogs to be a show about the world. Deep stuff. This NPR show features a mix of technology, politics, and society in general. [Updated!]
3. Call For Help - This show is only available in Canada (for some odd reason.) So we are lucky some kind soul records and seeds each one. (BitTorrent required.)
4. CommandN - A show by Amber MacArthur (from the new Call For Help) that showcases latest web sites and technology. Very well done, and released on a regular basis. Keep it up! (P.S. Please setup an RSS feed so iPodder can automatically get these. Ask and you shall receive. Let’s thank Brian for the RSS Feed to CommandN. BitTorrent required.) [Updated!]
5. MacCast - Mac only podcast full of great information. I routinely listen to this podcast, and I don’t even have a Mac (yet.)
6. Systm - A Kevin Rose original, only two episodes have been released. Let’s hope they get more out soon.
7. From the Shadows - I haven’t actually watched these, but they are by Yoshi (of TSS fame), so they must be good.
8. The Broken - Another Kevin Rose show, which went defunct after 3 episodes. He says more will be released, but only time will tell. And I actually have problems getting to this site today.

Let’s hope more content like this springs up. With the current success TWIT, I would say people are clamoring for this stuff.

A new report shows that the use of podcasting will grow 101% per year until the year 2010. It is estimated that 60 million Americans will listen to podcasts by 2010. Going from less than 15% of portable digital music player owners to 75% in the next 5 years.

In other news, because of my recent post about a local podcast, I was interviewed by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

While at work in Middletown, computer software developer David Breyer likes to download “podcasts” - audio files to play on his iPod digital music player - for his 45-minute commute home to Kenwood.

Usually he listens to discussions about computer technology in his Hyundai Elantra, but in recent weeks he’s loaded a podcast of Channel 9’s noon news, the first Cincinnati TV station to offer such digital-audio files published on the Internet.

“I listen to it mostly to hear the weather,” says Breyer, 30, who bought his iPod in February.

You can, and should, read the full text of Can’t stay up for the news? Podcasting offers alternative at the Cincinnati Enquirer’s site. I later found out that the reporter that interviewed me, who is from Middletown, Ohio, actually went to school with someone I work with. Truly a small world after all.

I will also take this time to announce that Derek Reynolds and I are currently working on our own podcast. Working being a relative term. Trying to find the time to sit down and record something is a challenge. It was delayed for the past week, while I tried to setup the recording environment. Well here’s to hoping we have something out by next week. In the mean time, try listening to The Adventures of Superman or vote on what OTR (old time radio) show I should podcast next.

I told Bryan Sime I would post a list of OTR broadcasts I have on MP3. I recently starting podcasting the Adventures of Superman, a radio show that started in 1939. Of which I probably have more than a thousand episodes.

List of OTR programs:

• CBS Radio Mystery Theatre - 100’s and 100’s, don’t ask me to count them. They encompass 20 CDs.
• Superman - 6 CDs
• The Whistler - 3 CDs
• The Sealed Book - 26 episodes
• Lights Out - 30 episodes
• Weird Circle - 77 episodes
• CBS Radio Adventure Theatre - 50 episodes
• Nero Wolfe - 23 episodes
• Quiet Please - 88 episodes
• Inner Sanctum - 76 episodes
• Suspense - 8 CDs

Since so many people shown interest in the Superman podcast, I thought I could put another OTR show up on podcast. Let me know if anyone has a suggestion.

I setup a podcast of the original 1939 radio broadcast of Superman. Each day I will add the next installment of The Adventures of Superman. Each episode is roughly 10-15 minutes. Superman aired from 1939 to 1946. The format is MP3, and they sound good given the age of the recording.

You do not need podcasting software to listen to them. You can manually download each episode. But a better idea would be to get iPodder (or another podcasting client.)

Click here to subscribe to this old time radio podcast.

Posing with Pat and Leo

Originally uploaded by eberry.

First interweek episode of TWIT has been released.

I plan on listening to it on the drive to work.

Our local channel 9, WCPO in Cincinnati, has made available their afternoon newscast available as a podcast. This is obviously intended as a test of the technology and hopefully more will follow. I have only one request, make the URI for the feed bigger. I scanned the page several times for the podcast feed only to find it’s hidden in 6 pt font.

E.W. Scripps, the owner of WCPO, has recently made a move to distribute content via the web. It’s new Living.com is a new all-video Web site that will use programming from its Food Network, Fine Living, HGTV and DIY Network brands, as well as new clips.