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Friday afternoon, Apple delivered another update to the Podcasts app for the iOS. The v1.1.2 update addresses "additional stability and performance improvements," over its predecessors and adds a few new features. A "Top stations" feature has been added, allowing users to download and play the most popular podcasts organized by topic automatically.
The forthcoming release of Apple's iOS 6 mobile operating system may contain a change for podcasts that the tech giant didn't reveal at WWDC. Sources tell AllThingsD that Apple is planning to is planning to roll out a new native app with a specific focus on podcasts.
RIM has announced that its BlackBerry Podcasts app will be pre-installed on the company's PlayBook tablets at launch. The utility will allow users to browse content, subscribe to favorite channels, and preview episodes before downloading. Alongside audio content, the app provides access to video podcasts in native resolutions up to 1080p.
IdeaSwarm, who make AppViz for helping developers track app sales, reviews and rankings, has expanded their line with the introduction of PodViz ($25), designed to help podcasters determine the popular reception of their podcasts by automatically downloading reviews and rankings from iTunes.
An arbitrary size limit on cellular app and podcast downloads could disappear with the release of the iPhone 3.0 firmware, a developer suggests. Although iPhone owners are currently able to stream audio and video podcasts without restriction, a 10MB limit exists on individual files obtained through EDGE or 3G, rendering all but the shortest podcasts inaccessible on the road. Using the iPhone 3.0 beta however, a developer says he has been able to download a 138MB Diggnation episode.
SnapMeasure 1.8 ($24) is a plugin for Adobe Illustrator that acts as an alternative measuring tool. Unlike the native measuring tool, SnapMeasure snaps with visual feedback to elements on the page and can put measurement data next to the cursor. The software also offers an alternate measure line color for better visibility and can optionally change the constrain angle and/or cursor key distance without having to open the preferences window. This release adds CS4 compatibility, measuring along a path, scale measuring, path direction arrows, and more. [Download - 1.9MB]
Even if you're a regular National Public Radio (NPR) listener, there's a chance you won't catch your favorite shows during the day. Many NPR stations offer podcasts, but if you're not keen on manually hunting for files and loading them onto a media player, you can let a program like the NPR Mobile iPhone app do the work for you.
Bit Maki Software has released Textcast, an application that allows the transformation of text documents, webpages, or blog feeds into audio files that can be played on an iPhone or iPod. Offering customizable voices, including a default of Mac OS X Leopard’s latest Alex voice, Textcast sends all spoken-word audio files to iTunes for sync purposes.
Pleasant Software has posted a major update to Ubercaster, its podcast production software. The app handles all stages of the production process, including note preparation, recording, editing and eventual publishing online. New to v1.6 is the implementation of Skype support, popular with podcasters for handling phone conversations through VoIP. Users can now make phone calls from within Ubercaster, eliminating the need to run separate clients.
Boinx Software has launched BoinxTV 1.0, a live-production software solution for video podcasters. The software allows users to operate a TV studio from their Mac. BoinxTV can mix audio and video and record high-quality video from podcasts, sporting events, concerts and more, supporting up to three camera feeds. The interface allows a single user to choose templates and produce a live broadcast, with support for pre-recorded material, video camera inputs and microphone inputs, in a layering scheme that puts graphics and logos on top of the video feeds.
Mobile podcast downloads are now functioning within the iPhone 2.2 beta firmware, reports claim. Although references to the feature were said to be present as far back as late last month, this was unconfirmed, and buttons for the new option were said to be inactive. Users of the firmware should now be able to browse podcasts much in the same as other material on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, searching by category, with episode lists replacing track lists.
Pleasant Software has released updates to two key programs, Ubercaster and ShowMacster. The former is the company's podcasting tool, which allows users to record, edit and export tracks using only a single utility. Version 1.5 of the software introduces the Autopilot, which displays a list of topics to guide users through their podcasts; the panel can also be used to store detailed notes, in case particular pieces of information are forgotten. Ubercaster now also has an RMS normalizer, support for AU (Audio Units) plug-ins, effect presets and an automatic chapter creation function. The app costs $80, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.4, a 1.83GHz CPU, and 1GB of RAM.
The official Apple website has been been given an award by British web culture magazine .net. The site took home the "Best Redesign of the Year" title, for the new look that premiered shortly before the release of the iPhone in June. Some changed elements included a new menu bar at top, and the use of segmented "windows" on product pages, such as that for the iPhone. Apple beat out challengers such as Manchester United, the New York Times and Guardian Unlimited.
