Ofcom flicks switch on iPod FM
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Micro power FM transmitters legal from Dec. 8 Ofcom today announced that "micro power" FM transmitters such a the Griffin Technologies iTrip or Belkin TuneCast can legally be used from 8 December.â¦
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Okay I've been writing about OPML reading lists here for years. I'm now on my second implementation, so maybe this time I'll get it right.  But there's something cool that happens when (hypothetically) the entire installed base of podcatchers supports OPML reading lists. All of a sudden the subscription problem goes poof! Ask anyone who's worked on a RSS reader, for that matter, ask anyone who's used one, what a PITA it is to subscribe to a feed. All those little buttons, or copying and pasting, and looking at urls, and trying to figure out whether you want this format or that format. It's a miracle anyone actually subscribes to feeds it's so damned complicated. Before you blame anyone, it's not actually anyone's fault. It's a result of the market not being a monopoly. The only way to solve the problem is if everyone uses the same web app to manage subscriptions. And we know that's not going to happen any time soon. Or, if every reader supports OPML reading lists. Now that might actually happen, even though it's not very likely. But podcasting, that's a whole other story. According to many people there's only one podcatcher, iTunes. So that's simplified the problem. For example, look at this page of NY Times podcasts, and how they handle it.   See the Subscribe button? Nice. Except for one thing. It really should say "Subscribe in iTunes" because that's what it does. And it works, because in many people's minds, iTunes is the only way to subscribe to a podcast. And it could stay that simple if Apple would do one thing, offer the option of publishing the OPML automatically to a publicly accessible web address, so the user could continue to use Apple's server to handle subscriptions, even if they're using a different podcatcher (for example one that runs on a Nokia N800). It would be the mark of a truly great company if they did that. Maybe they are that great. Otheriwse at some point we're going to ask the NY TImes to change their page. And they may not be too happy about that. Wouldn't blame them if they were. Moral of the story: If we can centralize the subscription process, and move it out of one reader or another, and get the readers to all support subscription to reading lists, the awful ugly issue will go away for users. It's one of the oldest tradeoffs in the tech business, to make it simple for users, the vendors have to give up some power.
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Continuing the thread from yesterday. I got absolutely nowhere, some people suggested I use a smart playlist, missing the point that I'm a developer working on a podcatcher, not a user trying to use iTunes as a podcatcher. I'm sure it's an excellent way to subscribe to podcasts, but I have my own ideas how podcatchers should work, and I want to integrate them with other stuff I'm working on. Integrating with iTunes is proving to be quite a challenge, or maybe it's an art, we'll see.  As usual Mac users are superior sumbitches.  (Quoting the James Brolin character the first time we meet him in the third season finale of The West Wing.) Anyway, the search continues, I tried another more direct tack, and looked for glue for iTunes for UserLand, and bingo, there's a match, from 2001, a well-known Frontier programmer Sean Elfstrom, apparently converted glue for the Sonic SoundJam app that iTunes used to be, before Apple acquired it.  I installed the glue in the OPML Editor. It's daunting, for sure, but let's see what I can get working.
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Sony has unveiled its latest attempt to capture a share of the iPod market. The new Network Walkman, snappily titled the NW-HD3, is the company&#39;s first to play MP3 files in addition to those in its own ATRAC format.
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You can listen to all your favourite music on it ... now you can use it to look at your favourite pictures as well. A new breed of iPod has been unveiled by Apple as it tries to maintain its grip on the digital music player market.
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The UK could face a new 3G licence auction after Ofcom on Thursday announced plans to take some of the radio spectrum held by mobile phone operators Vodafone and  O2, and use it for higher speed services.
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Earlier this year RealNetworks came up with a workaround allowing music downloaded from its store to work on iPods. This was achieved by reverse-engineering Apple&#39;s FairPlay technology, and Real named it Harmony (see our previous coverage).
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Apple has unveiled a slick touch-screen version of the iconic iPod as part of a product line overhaul.
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The "shuffle" command on music players like the iPod is supposed to be a truly random way of making your way through a vast music collection. But some owners are wondering whether the iPod has a mind of its own.
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Arts & entertainment: Things are changing on the airwaves. Caroline Sullivan finds Radio 1 ditching rock for 'pop'
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Users of HD Radio devices will soon be able to 'tag' songs they hear for later purchase using iTunes.
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2004 is turning out to be the year of the iPod. Last week retailers reported that they're running short on the popular digital music players. This week brings news of novel ways that people are putting their iPods to work.
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Reg review Does colour screen + touch-sensitive control pad = iPod killer?
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Apple has tweaked the firmware for its AirPort Extreme Base Station, though it's not saying why.
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You are entering the white space Ofcom's Digital Dividend review has given a clear endorsement to the unlicensed use of cognitive radio - devices able to seek out unused spectrum - ahead of EU approval and indeed the existence of any such devices. Meanwhile, the FCC has today received a letter signed by five senators promoting the same technology.â¦
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Podcasting for the iPod  If you are fed up with listening to your local FM station and the mass of inane adverts that punctuate each show, or, if you crave interesting spoken word programmes that are written and presented by excited, knowledgeable enthusiasts, then Adam Curry's "Daily Source Code" podcast may ...
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Belkin's Web site features a finder service that helps you locate the best frequencies to set your iPod FM transmitter to.