New app – Stitcher

From the WSJ:

I love podcasts, so this app really appeals to me.

Check out Smart Station, a new feature in an app called Stitcher, that aims to simplify the hunt for great podcasts. Smart Station fills a station with audio content on a variety of topics that it thinks you’ll like, finding this content using an algorithm that compares your listening patterns with tens of millions of listening hours from other users. It is designed to improve as you listen to more podcasts.

StitcherThe Smart Station feature on the Stitcher app uses an algorithm to help listeners discover new sources of audio podcasts that they might like.

The Stitcher app is free and runs onApple‘s AAPL +2.63% iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, as well as on Android phones and tablets, Barnes & Noble‘sBKS +7.93% Nook Color and Nook Tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. It provides an elegant interface for finding and playing some 100,000 hours of podcast programming. But the app, alone, wasn’t doing a good enough job of helping users discover content they might like.

The Smart Station feature is a delight to use. I listened to podcasts it suggested while I was commuting, exercising and cooking in my kitchen. As promised, the content in my Smart Station seemed to get more personalized the more I used it. Each podcast in the curated list lasted about 30 minutes, more to chew on than three-minute news clips.

Other recent additions to Stitcher are a sleep timer, as well as a feature that shows podcast-representative album art on your device’s lock screen.

Meanwhile, Apple just released a standalone Podcasts app with a Top Stations feature.

My Smart Station took days to start working rather than the required minimum listening time of five minutes. Noah Shanok, Stitcher co-founder and chief executive, said this was due to a significant server outage soon after the release of this new version of Stitcher; the outage has since been fixed. Currently, the only way to manually adjust content added to your Smart Station is to start playing it and give each podcast a thumbs-up or -down, which will add more or delete similar content, respectively. Mr. Shanok said a future version of Smart Station will let people vote content up or down without playing it first.

Stitcher first-timers can choose up to three topics of interest from categories such as current events, liberal or conservative politics, tech, entertainment, and lectures and education. Or they can type a topic or radio station into a blank search box.

I tested Stitcher using an HTC One S Android phone, an iPad and an iPhone. One of the app’s coolest features is its seamless cloud synchronization. This means that if you use your iPad to listen to a Jeff Daniels interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, pause it and then want to restart it later while standing in line at the post office with your Android smartphone, “Fresh Air” will play from exactly where you left off on the iPad. Just don’t forget your earbuds.

If you find a podcast you like, hit the thumbs-up button to tell the app and improve the Smart Station algorithm. If you tap the star icon to add that show to your list of Favorites, new podcast episodes will fill up Favorites whenever they’re available. You can share any podcast episode with friends via Facebook, FB -0.85% Twitter or email. If you do nothing while listening, Smart Station still knows what you’ve listened to, how far you’ve listened and when you stopped so it can tell whether or not to suggest similar content in the future.

I used Smart Station to discover the shows Freakonomics Radio and Moth, and found NPR favorites, like Car Talk, as well as some I didn’t know existed, like NPR’s Most-Emailed Stories Podcast. I learned a lot by listening to a podcast called Stuff You Should Know, made by Discovery Communications’ How Stuff Works. A podcast episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class taught me the fascinating history of John James Audubon.

Stitcher’s Front Page is a section of the app divided into In the Headlines, What’s Hot and What’s New. Another section of On Demand Shows lets people search podcasts by interest, such as Games & Hobbies, Local and Spirituality & Religion. A Live Radio section lets you hear what’s playing through normal radio stations, but I preferred podcasts. Smart Station is located in the My Favorites section of the app.

Stitcher’s new sleep timer offers seven options ranging in length from 15 to 120 minutes. And its lock-screen album art came in handy once or twice when I wanted to know the name of the podcast I was hearing in a quick glance.

If you’re already a fan of talk radio or you’re curious about what kinds of programs are available in free podcasts but don’t know where to begin, Stitcher’s Smart Station will almost surely surface several shows that will pique your interest.

How to start a movement

This is one of the funniest videos I have seen in a long time – it also has a great message!

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Unlock the Spotify universe

Great article in the WSJ about features in Spotify I didn’t know about….

I’m deep into Spotify now and if you aren’t, you should be. Not that music isn’t already fun and engaging, but Spotify, with its apps, collaborative playlists and ability to embed tracks easily into Tumblr and websites (this feature launched earlier in the week) makes it even more so. There’s no reason to be allergic to the hype anymore. It’s the real deal. Jump in if you haven’t already—

1. GET SPOTIFY

Unlike with other music-streaming platforms that run on your Web browser, you’ll need to download Spotify on your computer as you would a program like iTunes. There are three flavors: a free ad-supported version, an ad-free “Unlimited” version ($4.99 per month) and “Premium” ($9.99 per month), which, in addition to having no ads, lets you listen to Spotify on mobile devices and even access stored playlists when you’re not connected to the Internet.

2. HIT THE APP FINDER

Yes, just like your smartphone, the Spotify desktop client has apps. And they’re awesome, enabling you to explore and discover music in fun and innovative ways. Most impressively, they’re free. Here’s three of the best:

TuneWiki

Singers tend to be a mumbling bunch. That’s why there’s TuneWiki. This app displays lyrics in big, bold text as they are being sung. It’s amazing to discover how off you were about certain lines and, also, how awful some lyrics actually are. Nonetheless, it’s essential for the karaoke crowd and Bob Dylan fans.

Soundrop

Think of Soundrop as an old-school chat room where music is playing. You can join a room like, say, Jazz or Indie Folk, add your own tracks, vote songs up or down in the queue and say hello (with your keyboard) to fellow listeners. You can also start your own room and invite friends to have a listen and contribute to the programming. It’s surprisingly charming.

Classify

When it comes to music on the Internet, classical always seems to be on the bottom of the totem poll. “Classify” helps put the genre front and center and makes it accessible to folks who don’t know their Brahms from their Bach. You can explore music based on composer, period or even instrument. Flute, anyone? Before long you’ll be saying things like “Haydn? I dunno. Kind of overrated.”

3. DISCOVER PLAYLISTS

On Spotify, they’re more than just glorified mixtapes

You’ll probably start off in Spotify by searching for your favorite artists and albums and be astounded by the fact that, wow, they’re all there. That’s fine, but it’s a little like getting a Happy Meal and eating the hamburger before unwrapping the toy—the core of the Spotify experience isn’t songs or albums, it’s the galaxies of playlists to play with. According to Spotify, over 500 million have been created.

At their simplest, they are just mixtapes. But at their best, they are group-curated, constantly changing lists ranging in variety from “Songs of the ’80s” all the way to “The Covers of Phish.” (Not bad even if you hate Phish!) When it comes to Spotify playlists, there’s no such thing as too banal or too rarefied. There are plenty of apps on Spotify that help you find new music, but you’ll most likely be coming back to these two essential playlist powerhouses.

Share My Playlists

The easiest way to share, search for and subscribe to playlists. If this was the only way to navigate Spotify, you’d be fine.

Rolling Stone Recommends

You’ll find some of the most smartly edited playlists here, including many curated by emerging artists and folks like Mick Jagger and Bono. There’s a constant flow of new content, so check in frequently.

4. GET OFF YOUR COMPUTER

Even streamed music deserves better than those tinny laptop speakers

Spotify from Room to Room…

The problem with music on the Internet? It’s centered around the computer. And while that may be the norm these days, it shouldn’t be. Sonos is the pioneer in getting music off your desktop or lap and into the various rooms in your house.

Naturally it’s the best solution for using Spotify around the home sans wires or geeky networking know-how. All you’ll need to get started is a Sonos device (the compact Play:3 at $299 is a good place to start), and the Sonos app for iPhone, iPad or your Android device, and you can start navigating your Spotify playlists without having to boot up a computer. Additionally, Sonos gives you control over thousands of Internet radio stations, podcasts and pretty much every music streaming service that matters.

…and On the Go

Spotify Mobile

Sign up for the “Premium” service of Spotify ($9.99 a month) and download this app and you’ve got Spotify in your pocket. To listen to your tracks without being online, just slide the “Available Offline” switch to “On”—it’s located at the top of the playlist on the app or on the desktop. Free, available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry

SpotON Radio

This app generates radio stations based on your favorite artists—think Pandora powered by Spotify. (You’ll need to be a “Premium” Spotify subscriber.) Like the Spotify iPhone app, it’s AirPlay compatible meaning you can wirelessly play songs to devices with AirPlay like the Apple TV and various new docks. Free, available for iPhone

My fav new car – Fiat Gucci edition

The only thing better than one iconic Italian brand is the pairing of two stylish companies, which is why fashionistas and car lovers are both buzzing about the new Gucci editions of the Fiat 500.

The first release of Fiat 500 in the United States and Canada on 1 April sold out almost immediately, so the fashionable partnership is expecting to be well-received.

“Traveling in style has also been at the heart of Gucci ever since Guccio Gucci founded his company as a producer of leather trunks, suitcases and handbags in 1921. So … it struck me as a perfect opportunity to create a new modern travel statement in Gucci’s 90th anniversary year,” explained Creative Director of Gucci, Frida Giannini.

The Gucci models will be available in black or white, and include the brand’s signature stripe of green and red down the side of the car or along the convertible roof. The seatbelts will have the same green-and red design, while the hubcabs will contain Gucci’s interlocking Gs logo.

Priced at around $23k.  Amazing!

Top airlines for in-flight wi-fi

Not all in-flight Wi-Fi technology is created equal.  If email access is a must (or you just can’t bear to part with your Facebook friends), choose your airline wisely.

Here are the top domestic carriers for in-flight Wi-Fi:

1. Virgin America

This is an airline known for its technological innovations and was the first to partner with Gogo to offer Wi-Fi on every single flight. In the first half of the year, Virgin America plans to introduce their faster Gogo’s ATG–4 service.

2. Air Tran

Ranked the top airline in the Airline Quality Rating study twice in the past four years, Air Tran aims to deliver an excellent experience to its travelers. They were one of the first to jump on the Wi-Fi bandwagon and are one of the only two airlines to offer fleet-wide Internet service.

3. American Airlines

Access is now on board all Boeing 767-200 aircraft and select MD80 and 737 aircraft. You can also use their Wi-Fi Widget within 24 hours of departure to find out if you’ll be able to plug-in on your flight.

4. Delta Airlines

Delta offers Wi-Fi on more than 2,200 domestic daily flights – that’s 70% of their domestic aircraft. They were also the first to begin installation on regional jets but are just getting that project off the ground. Go toMy Trips to check availability on your flight.

5. Alaska Airlines

Almost all of the aircraft serving the Lower 48 United States are equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi. In fact, only nine planes in the Alaska Airline fleet fly without Internet access. Tip: Make sure your laptop is fully charged since there are no plugs on-board Alaska Airlines flights.

Airlines not making the cut

Of the major carriers, United Airlines, Continental and US Airways are seriously far behind when it comes to Wi-Fi. United and US Airways do have access on some aircraft, but Continental is dragging its feet on their plans to install Wi-Fi access. Southwest has already begun installation and promises fleet-wide access in 2012. JetBlue says they will launch the fastest system in the skies next year.

Saving Money for Better Things

This post details how I’m changing how I watch television – goodbye cable bill!

1) I am streaming TV thru the Roku LT – cost, $50 ( I used my Amazon Visa rewards points, so did not actually cost me anything).

CNET reviewed the Roku 5 days ago and here is their summary:

The Roku LT earned our Editors’ Choice Award for two major reasons: price and content. Roku’s $50 streaming box has a truly impressive lineup of content, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Pandora, HBO Go, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, Epix, Crackle, Picasa, Flicker, Mog, Rdio, TED Talks, Revision3, TWiT.TV, NASA, and CNET. You can see a full list on Roku’s site, and the company has been aggressive about continually adding more content sources. YouTube is strangely missing from that list.

All of the content sources are great, but the Roku LT also gets many of the little things right that competing products don’t. The user interface may be a little bland, but it’s simple and easy to navigate, plus you can customize the layout of the channels. The same goes for the remote, which keeps only the essential buttons. (Roku’s remote now includes direct-access buttons for Netflix, Pandora, and Crackle.) The separate Channel Store is also a great way to offer a ton of content from partners without cluttering the main home screen.

Roku also offers several pricier models, but we think the Roku LT is easily the best value. The core streaming functionality is what makes Roku great, so most buyers don’t need to pay extra for a Bluetooth remote, microSD card slot, or USB port.If your main goal is to stream video and music from a ton of high-quality content sources, there’s no better value than the Roku LT.

2) I have a subscription to Hulu Plus (less than $9 a month) and to Amazon Prime ($79 per year; includes streaming TV/movies & ebooks).

3) I bought a HDTV indoor TV antenna – Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception.  It’s $38.79 on Amazon (I used my Amazon Visa reward points for this too) and it ships free with 2-day delivery … another perk of the Amazon Prime membership.  It has received 1582 reviews and a 4-star rating.

It’s small in size (inconspicuous) and will allow me to view all local TV free.  To see what stations you should be able to get with the antenna in your area, go to http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps.

I absolutely hate paying for cable and this will net me about $600 the first year (due to equipment purchases) and a higher amount in year two.  Hmmm … I wonder what shoes Valentino has put out for Spring.

Mastering Siri

Apple continues to offer tutorials to teach customers how to get the best use out of Siri.  This one is very helpful to me:

Six tips for mastering Siri

Siri, the artificially intelligent assistant built into the iPhone 4S, is fun to show off. You can joke around with Siri, scoring funny replies if you ask it to beam you up, open the pod bay doors, or share its favorite color. But Siri offers more than just a source of amusement: It can also help you get more things done with your iPhone. Here’s how to master Siri’s nuances, turning it from a parlor trick to impressive productivity tool.

Speak your punctuation

Siri understands a slew of punctuation and typographic terms, like ‘new paragraph,’ ‘semicolon,’ and even ‘smiley face.’

Unless you frequently dictate missives, reciting your punctuation aloud doesn’t feel quite natural. But without it, any time Siri transcribes what you say, your text will resemble a texting tween’s stream of consciousness. Thus, when Siri asks you what you’d like your new email to say, speak like this:

Dear Jason comma new paragraph I’m working on that Siri story we discussed comma and I expect it will be ready soon exclamation point

Other dictation instructions that Siri can handle include:

Saying all caps will make the next word uppercase, while all caps on and all caps off to toggle caps lock;

Saying cap will capitalize a single word, as in: I named my dog cap Cat;

Speaking the names of punctuation marks and symbols—ampersand, asterisk, open/close parenthesis, em dash, percent, copyright, registered, section, dollar, cent, degree sign—will make them appear;

Saying smiley, frowny, and winky (optionally with face) will create the appropriate emoticon.

Use cue words 

If you don’t use cue words, Siri may ignore some of what you say.

When you trigger Siri, either by holding down the Home button or lifting your iPhone to your ear, it’s ready to listen. Sometimes, though, Siri listens without really hearing. Too often, I’ve been burned by Siri when giving it instructions like:

iMessage Dan Moren… I’m testing Siri, and thus you have to suffer.

Siri faithfully transcribes my instruction, and then replies somewhat unhelpfully: “Okay, I can send a text to Dan Moren for you. What would you like it to say?” I appreciate that Siri knows that I want to send an iMessage, and knows whom I want to send it to, but it’s frustrating to recite your message only to have Siri ignore it. But it is possible to start and dictate a new iMessage (or text) in a single step. Just add a cue word or phrase like that, say, or tell him/her.

iMessage Dan Moren that I’m testing Siri, and thus you have to suffer.

Remember not to treat Siri as it it’s actually relaying a message. If you say: iMessage Dan Moren that he is in my article a lot; Siri will faithfully transcribe your message starting with “He is” instead of the more applicable “You are.”

Change Siri’s mistakes via speech

Siri’s imperfect. Sometimes, it doesn’t properly transcribe what you’re saying; my message to Dan above came out “I’m testing Siri, and dust who have to suffer.” That may well be true, but it’s not exactly the message I was hoping to convey. When Siri tells me my message is ready and then asks if I’m ready to send it, I can correct the message pretty easily:

Change the message to I’m testing Siri, and thus you have to suffer.

You can instruct Siri that way when it creates Reminders, emails, calendar events, notes, and the like, too.

If you’re driving or unable to look at the screen for any reason, you can instruct Siri to read back your transcribed message before it’s sent, to prevent any awkward, embarrassing, or confusing errors. When it asks you to save or send (your iMessage, email, Reminder…), just say “Read it to me” first, and you’ll hear the content read back to you. Then you can change it, save it, or send it with Siri, as needed.

Edit Siri’s transcriptions

Tap into Siri’s misfired transcriptions, and you can correct them without needing to repeat yourself.

Suppose you say this:

iMessage Dan Moren Yours is the winningest smile I’ve seen in years.

The mistake, of course, is that you forgot a cue word; Siri will note only that you want to send an iMessage to Dan, but not the content of the message you’d like to send. If you’d like to avoid repeating yourself when Siri asks for clarification on what message you’d actually like to send him, you can instead scroll back up to where Siri transcribed your instructions incorrectly.

Tap on the mis-transcribed text, and it becomes editable. I inserted a “that” between “Moren” and “Yours” and then tapped Done. Siri re-processes the corrected instruction, and this time knows just what you were trying to say.

Even better: When the on-screen keyboard appears as you edit the transcribed text, you can of course use the microphone button to get your iPhone to start taking dictation as you edit your transcribed text. It’s meta, but it works.

Name your friends

So long as you use real words, you can tell Siri about important people in your life in fun ways. You probably already know you can tell Siri about connections like Lauren Friedman is my wife. But you can also add fancier connections like “Father-in-law,” “best friend,” and “nemesis.”

Tell Siri how you’d like to refer to different friends and family members, and you can then use that label. Even creative labels work, so long as they’re real words that Siri can recognize.

I told Siri Philip Michaels is my boss, which Siri understood (though it saved him as my manager). Now, when I say iMessage my boss that he’s a constant delight to work for, Siri knows just what to do.

At first, I ran into issues with this feature; Siri just couldn’t keep my relationships straight. The problem? I had multiple records for myself in my iPhone’s address book (from iCloud experimentation gone wrong); removing the duplicate records cleared things up for Siri right away.

The relationships you tell Siri about get added to your own address book entry for yourself. You can add them manually by going to your own record in your iPhone’s Contacts app, tapping Edit, and then tapping to add or edit fields in the relationship section.

Know what you can say

You may have come across lengthy lists of things you can say to Siri. For instance, after receiving an iMessage, adding a “Reply to” in a message—Reply to Dan Moren, I agree completely—will create your response. Saying Note to self: Read more of Lex Friedman’s Macworld stories will create an appropriate entry in the Notes app. And Show me January 8 will summon up your calendar for that day.

Here are other advanced instructions that Siri handles with aplomb:

What day of the week was November 28, 1980?

Remind me to order iTunes gift cards two days before Hannukah.

How many days until New Year’s?

Make an appointment named ‘Post Holiday Call’ for three days after Christmas at 10am with Jason Snell.

Reschedule my meeting with Jason Snell to January 8 at 2 p.m.

When is my next meeting?

What time is it in Jerusalem?

What time is sunset in Tucson, Arizona?

Mail my wife about Dinner tonight and say Would you like me to bring home Chinese?

Add “The Snuggie Sutra” to my ‘Books to buy’ note.

Remind me to pick up milk when I leave here.

What’s the current outside temperature?

How high did AAPL get today?

What did the market do today?

From:  MacWorld, February 2012

NPR’s new music app

NPR’s new music app went live yesterday.  It includes their enormous archive of music coverage and live performances and is, in my opinion, a very well organized app.

The content is broken down in a few different ways, which makes it easy to browse depending on what users are looking for. It can be viewed by content type (articles, videos, etc) or by genre or individual radio programs. There’s also a search utility if you’re looking for a particular artist. If the band or musician you’re looking for has appeared on any NPR program in recent years, they’ll come up in search results. This could be an interview on WXPN, video of a live performance, a feature on “All Things Considered” or just about any other kind of music coverage NPR does.

The app also comes with an excellent playlist builder.  As you come across audio clips and shows you want to hear, whether it be via search or by browsing, you can add queue them to play one after another. This ends up working like a sort of personalized radio station, not of songs, but of NPR’s best in-depth music coverage.

New approach to the heart rate monitor

I just downloaded this yesterday and can’t wait to use it.

The Azumio Instant Heart Rate app makes it easier than ever to track your heart rate while exercising.  Simply place your index finger over the camera lens on your smartphone and it displays your heart rate (only takes seconds).  The app works by using technology used  by medical pulse oximeters for years.

Good reviews so far on iTunes and won an award for the best Health  & Fitness app on Mobile Premier Awards 2011.

iPad testing smaller tablet

Today’s Wall Street Journal indicates that Apple is testing a smaller version of the iPad.

TAIPEI–Apple Inc. is working with component suppliers in Asia to test a new tablet computer with a smaller screen, people familiar with the situation said, as it looks to broaden its product pipeline amid intensifying competition and maintain its dominant market share.

Officials at some of Apple’s suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has shown them screen designs for a new device with a screen size of around 8-inches, and said it is qualifying suppliers for it. Apple’s latest tablet, the iPad 2, comes with a 9.7-inch screen. It was launched last year.

Apple, which works with suppliers to test new designs all the time, could opt not to proceed with the device.

Apple spokeswoman in California declined to comment.

The move comes as Apple is preparing to announce a new iPad in early March, according to people familiar with the matter. That device is expected to have a higher resolution screen than the iPad 2 with a similar screen size, according to people familiar with the matter. A version will run on fourth-generation wireless networks from Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.

A smaller tablet device would broaden Apple’s portfolio and help it better compete with rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Amazon.com Inc. It would also begin to emulate the strategy it took for its iPod music player, which it released in a number of shapes and sizes over time. The company has taken a different tack with its iPhone, releasing one design at a time.

Analysts said a tablet with a smaller screen size will help Apple expand its

market share in the increasingly competitive market.

“Samsung’s 5.3-inch Galaxy Note and Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire have been selling well. It means consumers want a tablet that is smaller than the existing 9.7-inch iPad,” said Diana Wu, an analyst at Capital Securities in Taipei. “IPad’s features are good enough but pricing would be an important factor in the mass market, especially in big emerging markets like China and India.”

Samsung Electronics, which supplies Apple key components such as memory chips and processors used in iPads, sells its Galaxy Tab iPad competitor in three screen sizes: a 7-inch, an 8.9-inch and a 10.1-inch.

Amazon.com Kindle Fire has a 7-inch screen size and is priced at $199, well below the iPad’s entry-level price of $499.

Apple has long contemplated different tablet designs, according to people familiar with the matter. But it indicated it was wedded to the iPad’s current size.