Playing With Audio Content on My Phone

While experimenting with various audio sources that I can access on my iPhone, I came across an interesting site from NPR for mobile phone users. ( http://m.opb.npr.org )They have created a site optimized for viewing on a mobile phone with links to NPR radio reports that you access by dialing a phone number. Instead of streaming the story to you as you would expect via a web page connection, this interface presents you with a link to a phone number that you dial to hear the story over a phone connection. This is basically the lowest common denominator approach and is geared to more basic mobile phones and not things like the iPhone (well at least not if Apple and Adobe every get Flash working on the iPhone) or Windows Mobile devices. Below are some screen shots.

The iPhone and the iPod Touch both will both play streaming MPEG content through the Safari web browser and many radio web sites have content in this format. For those of you interested in accessing NPR content on the iPhone or Touch via MPEG streaming you do have some options. Many NPR affiliate stations do broadcast audio streams in MPEG format which is what is needed for the iPhone and the Touch. iRadio, from Conceited Software is an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allows you to access thousands of web based radio stations. (note, your iPhone/Touch needs to be jail-broken in order to load applications...) The interface is a bit unwieldily, but it does allow you to access a large number of radio streams. I wish that iTunes on the iPhone/Touch would do this.

The BBC has optimized their podcasts for the iPhone/Touch. This article from the BBC web site, BBC Podcasts on the iPhone and iPod Touch (beta), outlines what is available. These are MP3 files that stream nicely on a wi-fi network, but don't work very well on EDGE. When you visit the BBC Podcast page ( http://bbc.co.uk/podcasts ) through an iPhone or iPod Touch you are automatically directed to a page optimized for display through Safari on these devices. Screen shots below...

Technorati Tags: bbc, iphone, ipod touch, iradio, npr

Google Maps: My Location and Navizon

Google Maps with My Location for mobile devices allows you to approximate your location even if your phone does not have GPS capabilities. It utilizes information from your cell phone and proximity to cell phone towers to approximate your location. It works with most mobile phones and will allow you to search for places based on your current location.The video below explains how it works...

It currently is not available on the Google Maps application that comes with the iPhone but Google support indicated that is will be available soon. For iPhone users who have unlocked their phones, a similar tool from Navizon is available for download. It basically does the same thing.

For example this morning I took my daughter to an appointment. I had to wait around so wanted to grab a cup of coffee. I launched the Navizon application and it found my approximate location (within about 2 blocks....) and then I searched for "Coffee" and found a shop within just a few blocks. From my limited experience it works well in areas with a high concentration of cell phone towers. As this kind of thing gets better, the need to have a power draining GPS unit on a mobile phone will diminish.

Technorati Tags: google maps, my location, navizon