Audio Geek Weekend

So I spent a good chunk of this weekend coding. For fun. I know it's scary. I was working in getting content for the iPod. Working on iPodder stuff.

I got in to this, because I am addicted to Jon Udell's Weblog. I read it religiously, and a few months ago he mentioned that he was participating in an audio show, The Gillmor Gang . I checked it out. I loved it. I started listening weekly. Then I started downloading it to the ipod. I subscribed to the news feed with m4b enclosures when it became available, but it did nothing for me that a normal feed wouldn't, because my news reader (Brent Simmons' excellent NetNews Wire ) doesn't handle them. Then a few weeks ago the host, Steve Gillmor, mentioned that Adam Curry of MTV fame, was doing some interesting things with his audioblog. Now I'm listening to this as well, and where a few months ago I had nothing new to listen to on my commute, now the commute is chock'o'block full of audio from my iPod.

Even more so because one of the things Curry is doing is a piece of software, the iPodder. This is really more a class of software, named after Curry's initial stab at it. These programs are newsreaders for RSS 2.0, only. The interesting thing is that they ignore the text content that all the other readers are after, and look only for a little chunks of the the feed that indicate that there is an associated binary "enclosure". These enclosures are primarily audioblogs, and these readers are designed for audio content only. Once they find a piece audio, they download it and stick it into your iTunes music library.

The total solution is the truly what makes this the killer app. Every morning before I head out the door, I sync the iPod. And every morning there is new content, dropped their magically in the middle of the night. It rocks. I'm starting to understand why all the Tivoheads are so freaking insane. This really is the coolest thing ever. And thus I spent the weekend coding :)

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