Apple announces iTunes support for podcasts |
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Published
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Wed, 29 Jun 2005 19:35
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NEW YORK: Apple Computer Inc. has added a facility to its iTunes digital music service, enabling users to download audio shows called podcasts. The company said Tuesday the version 4.9 of iTunes will have the facility for the users to subscribe to over 3,000 free podcasts with automatic download of new episodes via the Internet into a computer or an iPod.
Podcasts are sound files compatible with MP3 players. It allows users to upload their favourite audio files, on the web, which can then be accessed via multimedia players when required.
Apple said it will also offer to its users a combined iPod and iPod Photo line, a high-capacity line for music players with features like color displays and ability to view photographs. The new high-end iPods will henceforth have color screens. The 20 GB iPod, capable of holding 5,000 songs is priced at $299 and the 60 GB version with 25,000-song capacity at $399. The Shuffle version, which does not have a screen will see a price cut of $20.
The new system enables users to subscribe to podcasts like they subscribe to a movie channel. By connecting the iPod to a Mac or a PC, they can access the audio file from the podcasting services they have subscribed to.
The free podcasts will now be available through iTunes, but Apple is undecided on charging the user unlike the 99-cents-a song it charges for the iTune titles.
Apple's CEO Steve Jobs had told a conference last month that, "We make money from selling iPods", indicating that the company's role will be limited to a hardware provider.
Meanwhile, a search company, Blinkx Inc., is planning to offer search facilities for podcasting and video transmission companies. The company has a speech-recognition software that is capable of transcribing the content and even indexing it.
The company said it has identified some 20,000 channels of user-generated audio and video, which can add up 500 hours of programming a day. Normal search engines as well as directories of podcasts use either the text available on the file or do it manually to create an index or a summary. Blinkx's speech-recognition software can automate this process. The product is already in use by CNN, BBC, Movielink and others.
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