Nokia Podcasting Update
Hello!
just wanted to repost the P.S. from the previous post to re-assure you that there is a real team behind this site and we are reading EVERY comment. The elves in Santa’s workshop are still hard at work for the next version of Nokia Podcasting to implement many of the great suggestions that mostly originated from your comments on this site.
We apologize for the lack of updates to this blog and will work hard to get something up at least monthly if not more often. We dont want to waste your time posting empty hype, but there are many creative and cool things our Nokia Podcasting users are doing with the app which are definately worth sharing.
We’ll update the site again this week with the SIS version of NOKIA PODCASTING which is now on the ROM software of N95 8GB, N81, N82 etc. There are some minor bug fixes and work done to improve the battery life, but the main value is that the text is now localized to the country languages. note that this is NOT a major updated, but is worth installing if you have only installed the previous 1.03 SIS. (No need to install if the app is in your SW or pre-installed)
Anyway, here is the repost from before:
I just got a comment asking if anyone is moderating this site. I get notified of every comment as its posted and often will send a personal email if there is a specific question. (as well as delete SPAM. You know who you are!) But since the scope of this blog isnt as a support site, there are some comments which are just forwarded to the development teams to evaluate the feedback for future development or bug fixes.
Just wanted to let you know that Big Brother is still watching, even if we dont always have something new to post.
Hi Steven!
Thanks for the update. The Podcasting application is one of my most-used tools on my Nokia, as I’ve been listening to podcasts on my commutes for years now.
I haven’t found a proper place to send problem reports of feature requests to, so I’ll just mention them here:
Problem: If a subscribed podcast isn’t downloaded fully, the Podcast tool will retry, but 75% of the time, it will just redownload the item but add it onto the existing download, causing a podcast to appear to restart when listening.
Feature: A Playlist display items by downloaded order (oldest first) AND whether they’ve been listened to or not - Kind of like a combination of the “Recently Downloaded” and “Never Played” options. This way new podcasts are added onto the END of the playlist
Feature: Removal options for old/played podcasts
I also make a lot of use of the Nokia Podcasting software on my Nokia E65.
What I would really like to see in a future version is for the software is the ability to remember where you stop a podcast and be able resume it at later time, even if the phone has been restarted.
Could not be more excited to hear from you on the site, Steven. I’m really looking forward to the next overhaul, with some of the features I’ve mentioned to you in email. As with the others, I use my Podcasting app constantly, and it’s actually a selling point, imo, over WinMo and other mobile handsets.
So does this include the updates to the Music Player that allows for pause/resume of podcasts?
Steven, nice to see things are progressing. I like how the Podcasting app integrates with the N95’s music library a bit better.
@simon The N95 music player remembers where you stopped, at least with Podcasts. Surprisingly, though, podcasts you listen to straight from the Podcasting app on the N95 don’t seem to have this feature. Hm…
Look, if this version of podcasting doesn’t allow for streaming podcasts… then I don’t care.
It seams like a pretty simple feature that it almost does (plays preview while downloading… but will stop when you reach the point you requested to preview the podcast, (so what it already had downloaded when you select preview))
I wouldn’t even care so much it Mobicast worked well on my n95-3… but for some reason a live case volume (on any podcast) will lower, cut out, and raise consistently.
A good example of a streaming podcast device is a PSP… too bad it doesn’t support cell networks. The goal is I can pick any pod cast and listen to it while driving… without me having to use up any space on my phone or memory card.
I use Nokia Podcasting on my e51 on my commute to work.
I’d like to add to the plea of the “resume” feature: when you play a podcast the 2nd time (and onwards), it starts at where you stop it last time, even if the phone has been restarted.
(Really, I would volunteer to work on this feature if this is an open source project.)
I use Nokia Podcasting on my e51 on my commute to work.
I’d like to add to the plea of the “resume” feature: when you play a podcast the 2nd time (and onwards), it starts at where you stop it last time, even if the phone has been restarted.
(Frankly, I would volunteer to work on this feature if this is an open source project…)
I use podcasting app on my E65. Things that I would love to see:
- restart / skip to a point in time. My E65 reboots sometimes and my paused podcast / ebook just looses its location. Its painful to have to hear 45mins of talk again just to get to the interesting part
- m4a is now being used in some podcasting sites. Can we get support for that ?
I just started using this program with my e51 and it’s great. My only gripe is the lack of a resume feature, as mentioned by previous posters. Thanks for developing this.
I just started using this program with my e51 and it’s great. My only gripe is the lack of a resume feature, as mentioned by previous posters. Thanks for developing this.
Where did you put the updated .sisx file ?
It’s now May 22. Is the update available?
It’s now May 22. Is the update available?
wow nice post dude. thanks for this http://www.mobicreed.com
Hey Steve I know you guys personally respond to most comments via email and all, but that leads to a bit of a problem.
Other people have already asked some of the questions I was looking for answers to in their comments, you might have replied to them via email, but that doesn’t make your answers available to other people who might be wondering about the same questions. Besides, I’d imagine you’d probably get pretty fed up answering the same questions over and over again, to different people. So how about replying in the comments sometimes?
I was wondering about the streaming bit asked about earlier. The podcasting app’s pretty great, and alot of people heavily and frequently use it, but downloaded podcasts tend to fill up memory cards pretty fast. So streaming would be a very wonderful feature, do you plan on supporting it?
The podcasting app uses the device’s music player to play podcasts, which might not support streaming, or resuming the playback of podcasts from where the end user stopped. Any plans on making a custom player like the Nokia Audiobooks app does? Perhaps something that uses the device’s built-in codecs so you don’t have to add them again, like the oggplayer does(it can play any codecs the device supports, plus ogg).
I have some issues with large mp3 files. They are saved with some glitches. The podcast that have this issue are larger than 80-100 MB.
I would like to send a big thank-you too. The podcasting application is one of most-used applications on my E61i.
Being able to update podcasts automatically over wlan is something even the iphone cannot do. And that’s one of the main reasons I’m planning to stick with Nokia
Good job!
However, there are some things I miss from ipod podcasting:
- Ability to resume half-listened podcasts. Seems that everyone is wishing for this feature - so am I.
- Automatic removal of old podcasts. I would like to be able to define number of episodes per podcast that need to be kept on the phone. And older ones would get deleted automatically so that they don’t fill up my memory card.
- Podcast playlists. On ipod, I have a smart playlist which contains: “type: podcast; number of times listened less than 1″. This way I have kind of personal radio station and I don’t need to keep browsing menus when listening.
Also, some kind of icon which shows podcasts that have new episodes would be cool.
I’m listening to podcasts when driving, so these features would be very welcome to me (and without doubt, many other users too). More safety you know
Once again, thanks for a great application.
I’ve just got a brand new N82 and I’m very happy to see Podcasting app integrated (too bad such feature never went in n800/n810).
There is a small integration bug in the web browser : it only allows to subscribe to RSS feeds with RSS viewer, not Podcasting app.
Hi,
I love my e65 and plan on getting the E66 asap.
I just wanted to add my voice to the “resume” feature for playing back podcasts as well as the ability to only store say the last 3 or 4 podcasts.
I know others have said it but I figure the more the merrier!
Best regards to you and your team
James
Hi,
I love my e65 and plan on getting the E66 asap.
I just wanted to add my voice to the “resume” feature for playing back podcasts as well as the ability to only store say the last 3 or 4 podcasts.
I know others have said it but I figure the more the merrier!
Best regards to you and your team
James
The Nokia series podcast is available at various designs. The main one is N95 8GB, N81, N82 many more designs. I think we will in future also some new designs. The latest podcast is so nice and very durable. The memory is good. I think I will take this in future.
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rose76
Addiction Recovery Illinois
Addiction Recovery Illinois
I recently bought an N95 8GB and podcasting was a selling point.
After a couple of weeks, put simply, I’m quite disappointed in the functionality of the podcasting app (v1.10.1). It’s missing what I would consider to be fundamental capabilities for such an app. I cannot understand why people write such positive reviews of the app. I can only imagine that they don’t use it on a regular, ongoing basis.
Many of the missing/broken functions appear to have been mentioned before here. For example, (1) there’s no auto-delete of old episodes, (2) there’s no one-click (or even two- or three-click!) manual download of all newly available episodes, (3) there’s no integrated subscription through the web browser, (4) critically, the music player and podcasting app don’t sync episode status - if you listen through one, the episode remains marked ‘new’ in the other, (5) there’s no option to resume playback, (6) auto-update doesn’t download requested old episodes - this must be done manually, (7) interruptions to downloads result in a podcast episode which starts over again mid-way through.
Podcasting is a great capability for my device, but at the moment the implementation is broken. I’m hopeful for updates to the software in the near future.
The podcasting app is a great start and has the potential to be superb.
As well as adding my support for the “resume” and “auto-delete old” features, I would also like to see more flexible scheduling. For instance, “every N hours” where N is an integer between 0-24 (with 0 being off).
Ideally I’d like to be able to sync my podcasts just before I set off for work (8am) and just before I head home (5:30pm). Currently I can’t do this automatically.
Hello,
I like the nokia Podcasting Tool and it is a great solution to manage my brain with information ;-). The greatest Plus is, that the app is Screenreader friendly, because I am blind and use my Nokia E61I with a Screenreader with Speech and Braille output named TALKS from Nuance. I hope like most of all for a Resume feature and clearing older episodes for better overview. Greetings von Germany.
I’m posting again to add a public ‘thank you’ to the private ‘thank you’ I recently sent the Nokia podcasting team.
The responses I’ve had via email from the team following my post above have been phenomenal. These guys truly are listening to our feedback and they really care about their product.
Outstanding job to all of the gang at Nokia podcasting!
I’d really like to see some kind of rewind/ff option for the podcasts you download. Someone mentioned if your phone reboots and you lose your place it’s not fun to listen to all the content again to get back to where you were. All in all I think it’s a very cool app but could use just a few things to make it better.
I’m pretty new to podcasting in general so maybe this is already fixed with some third party app or something that does this. I’d really like to see some kind of rewind/ff option for the podcasts you download. Someone mentioned if your phone reboots and you lose your place it’s not fun to listen to all the content again to get back to where you were. All in all I think it’s a very cool app but could use just a few things to make it better.
OK I got an answer on this. I just didn’t know how to do it. Thanks!
OK I got an answer on this. I just didn’t know how to do it. Thanks!
Ditto on the need to “remember” where you are in a file. That feature sold me on my iPod, and I miss it. The other features above are good, but the “remember” feature is essential.
Just adding my vote for a a “resume” feature, where the player remembers the timecode when the user stops listening and then returns to a podcast. I also agree with all of WurstEver’s other points above.
I listen to some long (1hour+) podcasts and I’ve actually stopped using Nokia Podcasting because it’s too annoying to try and find where I was each time I resume listening after a break. Instead I us my PC to break long podcasts into 5 minute segments and listen to them in the nokia music player.
A useability issue that hasn’t been mentioned is Rewind and Fast Forward - these keys should not have dual functions. Too often I’ve accidentally ended up skipping to the end/beginning of the file when attempting to rewind or fast forward. That’s not a problem on a 3 minute song, but it’s a big pain on a 1 hour podcast. Put a “restart podcast”, “next podcast” and “previous podcast” items in the options menu instead.
Comeon Steve, any news on when we’d get our hands on whatever the elves in Santa’s workshop have been working hard on?
It’s really nice that Nokia makes this application available to owners of older Nokia devices too, rather than just bundling it in the firmware of new ones. I hope that doesn’t change. I mean, the Podcasting team isn’t just waiting for the launch of N96, making the app available only with newer devices, right? I’m just concerned because newer versions of the app used to be released much more frequently than this.
I tried the app last night and I have to agree with WurstEver a few comments above, it’s sub-par as a podcatcher. There is no way to manually download all new episodes, no auto-delete and no easy way to subscribe from the browser (I did manage to do this by subscribing to the show’s feed on the browser, copying the feed address, unsubscribing and pasting it into the podcasting app - pretty cumbersome).
I hate to say it but the iTunes/iPod combo, while not perfect, works much much better than this. It’s a shame because I had big hopes about this Podcasting app. I’ll look forward to the updates; the potential is there for sure.
What happened to the promised monthly updates; when to hope for a new software version? A feature to download all new episodes with a single key stroke would enhance the application a lot.
I like the podcatcher, I have one question.
How does it sort episodes?
Using Google reader, I have made a list of my fave pods, I then share this, via GR, as a RSS URL which I can add to the Nokia catcher. So, when at the PC I can subscribe to a new PC using GR and it’ll appear next time I do an update on the catcher.
The only problem is that it is not in descending data order on the phone. It’s ok when I look at the google reader on my PC.
Hello All,
** A feature I’d like to see on the Nokia Podcasting app would be to have a “Update All Now” button.
I do a daily auto updated in the early hours each morning via my home WiFi connection, But I am Often delayed on the train on the way home and would like to be able to do a Once only “update all” via a different Access Point set for my auto updates, eg my Providers 3G connection.
At the moment I have to go into “Connection” change it to my providers AP, then go into Download and change the date back by one day.
Then I get all my hot of the press Podcasts, But then I have to go back in and adjust the AP back to my WiFi then change the Date Back.
I could leave the AP set to “Always Ask” but then I don’t get auto updates.
Even if I have it set to “Always Ask” You have to select one at a time and click update.
Other Suggestions:-
** Like the others a Pause / Resume function would be good,
** Also better support for embedded Cover Art, Coreplayer has no problems displaying all embedded Cover Art.
** Better Support for Video Podcasts. The ability to disable the warning about file type may not be playable. And just download it and let me worry about if it is playable or not.
** More Music Player like settings, When you play Podcasts via the Podcast player not the music player you don’t have any of the controls over EQ or Visualization. If you subscribe to music orientated podcasts it would be nice to have full music player controls.
** Better interactivity between the devices embedded web browser and the Podcasting App, giving the ability to directly subscribe to Podcasts that you find while surfing around. At the moment I have to find the link to the feed, write it down, then go into the Podcasting App and manually enter it. very clunky.
Apart from those few things, The app would be easily my most used application. Keep the updates coming.
Thanks
com_h
in the subscription list press the * key then options update. Also check out handywi and/or psiloc connect.
You can update all by pressing the * key then options->update, this won’t download anything though.
Also, check out HandyWi (free) and/or PsiLoc connect (~10USD)
ping … santa alive?
Hello, I’m getting tired of promises of updates and no updates. I’m tired of the complete lack of after-sales support from Nokia. The podcasting app showed promise but is still in a basic state that doesn’t even integrate well with the music player. Will nokia ever actually do anything with this app and with nokia maps, both apps still have basic usability faults that have to be worked around daily that would be simple to fix, but nothing, no updates. My phone contract will be up for renewal soon and I’m thinking of moving to a supported platform, i.e. non-nokia.
Is there any way to synchronise with a PC podcaster over bluetooth or USB -
Its a right pain to have the same subs on the phone and the PC and have the same content come up on both and even worse, waste my 3g allowance downloading something I have already listened to.
Ideally it would be good if the phone would use wifi or bluetooth to keep for example the last weeks worth of all podcasts on the PC on the phone, and then when I am out only download the ones that are new and I choose to.
Then, when I get to wifi it would get all the ones that I havent downloaded over 3g, and when I get home (or over the net somehow) sync the listned list with that in whatever software I have on the PC so I dont start listening to dupes when I get home on the stereo.
It would be great to have a folder view possiblity in the subscribed podcasts view (menu). Thanks!