MobileViews Blog

Category: podcast

  • Mini-Podcast 17: Voice Recorder for Android Sound Sample

    I’m always looking for voice recording apps that might help me in my podcasting projects. I tried the free Voice Recorder app for Android by Mamoru Tokashiki over the weekend. You can hear a sample of the voice recording I made using the app on my Droid in the mini-podcast embedded above.

    I ran into a couple of problems using Voice recorder on my Droid:

    – It crashed a couple of times
    – Its home screen widget did not work
    – It stops recording if the Droid is moved
    – The resultng recording has a low volume. I used Audacity to increase the volume of the recording to product the mini=podcast
    – I think, but am not 100% certain, that the app caused the Droid’s battery to drain rapidly. I uninstalled the app to test this possibility

    The app itself has a nice simple and easy to understand interface. I like its ability to both save and email a sound recording. I’ll make a note to check on this app’s progress a few months into 2010 to see if it might make its way into my toolset.

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Podcast 41: Chevy Mobile Wi-Fi 3G-WiFi Vehicle Router

    In Podcast 41 I speak with Chevrolet Accessories Manager Chris Rauser about the new Chevy Mobile Wi-Fi Autonet Mobile 3G-to-WiFi vehicle router. The product has a $399 retail price but has a rebate program running through the end of the year that brings the price down to $199. A docking station lets you move the router to another vehicle. The router product is availale for 7 Chevy models: Equinox, Transverse, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche, Express. You can learn more Chevy Mobile Wi-Fi at…

    Wi-Fi On Four Wheels: Chevrolet Offers Dealer-Installed Wireless Internet System For SUVs, Trucks And Vans (press release)

    http://gmextras.com

    The podcast is 14 minutes and 43 seconds long.

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Podcast 40: Nuance Dragon Dictation for iPhone – Sr. VP/GM Michael Thompson

    In Podcast 40, I speak with Nuance Mobile Sr. VP & General Manager Michael Thompson about the recently released Nuance Dragon Dictation app for iPhone. This free app can record you speaking in chunks up to 30 seconds long. Multiple 30 second speech bites can be combined into a single message.

    Dragon Dictation 1.1.0

    One discussion item of particular note is the privacy issue. And, if you download the freshly released 1.1.0 update, you’ll note that one change is the ability to delete previously uploaded contact names from their server and to opt out of uploading contact names going forward. Nuance does not obtain any other information except the contact name. So, I feel comfortable leaving my contact names on their server to help with speech-to-text transcriptions.

    Mike also mentioned that more apps are on their way from Nuance and hinted at something called Dragon Search. Keep an eye and ear out for it!

  • Podcast 39: Nuance Speech to Text Powering AT&T Voicemail to Text Service – John Pollard/GM

    In Podcast 39 I speak with Nuance Communications General Manager John Pollard about the their speech-to-text techology that powers the recently announced AT&T Wireless Voicemail to Text service (a $9.99 per month service).

    – John Pollard technology industry background
    – Information about Nuance
    – How AT&T Voicemail to Text works
    – Value proposition?

    Audio quality note: John and I bought had problems with Skype the morning of the podcast (December 4). So, I used my LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen to record the discussion from a conventional phone call. I used an HTC Touch Pro2 (Windows Mobile 6.1) phone on my side of the conversation. I mixed the stereo audio recorded by the pen’s headset down to mono so that John’s voice could be heard over both speakers instead of just the left channel.

    This podcast is 21 minutes and 41 seconds long.

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Podcast 38: Android App Recommendations discussion with Frank McPherson

    In Podcast 38 Windows Mobile expert, and now Android enthusiast/expert, Frank McPherson joins me once again to “talk Android”. The focus of this 31 minute 7 second long podcast is Android app recommendations. I also took the opportunity to ask Frank to describe the process of purchasing an app from the Android market. We discussed the following apps:

    Frank’s paid app recommendations:
    – DoggCatcher ($9.99) podcasting client
    – Advanced Task Manager (99 cents)

    Frank’s free app recommendations:
    – Glympse location sharing
    – Sherpa location discovery

    Todd’s free app recommendations:
    – Bonsai Blast game
    – Weather Channel
    – WiFi Analyzer

    Finally, Frank and I discussed our Android app wish list.

    You can find Frank’s website at: http://frankmcpherson.com

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Maxi Mini-Podcast 16: Droid-Android Discussion with Frank McPherson

    Mini-Podcast 16 started out as a podcasting recording experiment. I used a LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen to record this by placing one of its two stereo headbud/microphones in the ear that I held my phone over. This is instead of using Skype to make the call. So, this podcast’s audio quality is definitely a step below my usual podcast. But, it gives me more flexibility in scheduling podcasts.

    My old friend Frank McPherson (Windows Mobile expert who has been using Android phones for the past 13 months) and I planned to speak for only 5 to 10 minutes to create basically a sound check podcast. But, it is impossible for the two of us to start talking about mobile tech for just a short while. So, this “mini” podcast turned into an 18 minute 38 second long one – longer than some of my regular guest podcasts. So, this really should have been Podcast 38. But, I’ll leave it with its current designation.

    In Maxi-Mini-Podcast 16, Frank and I talk about Android related topics. Originally, the plan was for me to live vicariously through Frank’s Android experiences. However, I bought a Motorola Droid this past weekend. So, this podcast and ones to follow may be more of a expert (Frank) – novice (me) type discussions.

    Frank and I briefly catch up on his T-Mobile G1 experience and his upgrade to the myTouch 3G in August. We also touch on the few days of experience I have with the Moto Droid. You can find Frank’s blog at…

    http://frankmcpherson.com

    So, how’s the audio quality? Bearable for a short (under 20 minutes) podcast?

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.