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The ipod supports bookmarkable AAC files (mp3 too?? not sure), as well as audible (audiobook) files - http://www.audible.com/ - an no, I don't work for them.

I listen to lots of audio books on my iPod. The 'bookmarking' feature is one of the things that makes the iPod AWESOME to listen to books on. Basically, it automatically 'bookmarks' where you leave off.

So, if you want to stop in the middle of the book to go listen to some music, or whatever -- when you come back to your book, you pick up where you left off.

There are applescripts you can use to convert long mp3 files into bookmarkable AAC files too. Alternatively, if you rip in a file in AAC, it's pretty simple to switch on bookmarking in that file as well, using applescripts (there may even be an option in iTunes, I haven't checked). For example, I have some long comedy mp3s which I've turned on bookmarking for using some of the scripts.

Cheers

And those are provided by Audible.com. I think they're less restrictive than iTunes is. You don't need iTunes software to get to their site.

For now, you can sign up for audible and have the current NPR shows automatically sync to your iPod every time you dock it. And you can listen to them any time you like, and rewind/ff as much as you want. And some of the shows are available before they are aired locally. It's expensive (but not that expensive) and it's not a replacement for FM, but for people who like me never listen to the radio anyway (with the exception of some NPR shows), audible is a decent option.

What you're describing already exists. It's called Audible.

I'm sure there would have to be a text-to-speech app built into this phone. Heck, if there were, that'd be an Audible http://www.audible.com/ killer for sure.

Regarding software for the iPod... although iTunes is the only software officially supported by Apple, there are several other programs (free/shareware) like Anapod Explorer, Ephpod, XPlay, and even RealPlayer that will transfer and manage your iPod's music collection.

As another poster points out, the iPod WILL play any MP3 you put on there. It will also play MPEG-4/AAC, which IS a standard format, licensed from Dolby. It will even play plain-old WAV files, too. The iPod doesn't support Windows Media files, but if you're using iTunes, WMA files will automatically be converted to MP3 or AAC when you import them to your library.

Maybe you're not familiar with Audible, which is an online store for Audiobooks. Audible has its own DRM-protected format which only a few portable players support, one of which is the iPod.

As far as pricing is concerned, the iPod is probably the most expensive in terms of $$/gigabyte, but not by much. Last time I checked, other 20GB players were in the $250-300 range, too. (A 20GB iPod sells for $299 or less)

Hey, it's great you like your big old Archos jukebox. But, I wanted a portable music player that was small and light enough to strap to my arm while I go out bicycling and to the gym. And I wanted one that would play Audible's audiobooks, too. The iPod was my only choice.

I'll admit, my biggest frustration with my iPod is with the software; I wish I could just plug it in and drag-and-drop my music via Windows Explorer. But it's a pretty minor complaint; Aside from being a memory hog, iTunes really is a great media player and organizer. And I still feel that the iPod is the best MP3 player for me.

I agree, Audiobooks are brilliant. Great selection of audiobooks here. Download, stick it on your IPod and your away!:)

Here's what I've found helps: I read her to sleep. I've completely read out loud the first 3 books of the Wheel of Time to her. Most of this isn't at bed though, I also read to her on road trips. When I read to her in bed, she might last a couple of pages or she might last a couple of chapters.

If you don't have anyone that's willing to read to you, I might suggest trying audio books. Since I have a very long commute (3 hrs a day, at least) I'm an Audible addict. Unabridged is the only way to go, too. I play it from my Palm Zire 72.

Anyway, it's worth a shot. There are worse ways to get to sleep than listening to a good story unfold behind your tired eyes.

The NEA paper doesn't take into account the growing popularity of listening to books. With commutes getting ever-longer, especially in the United States, it's getting more and more popular. I know I took it up in my commuting days, listening to the great works, various lectures, etc. I think Audible (or its successors) has a great future.

Finally, you have to ask why the NEA has any kind of interest in this. Could it be a "justify our existence" move to expand another bureaucracy, especially one that finds itself under regular attack? naw....

Like most slashbots, I read a great deal on the internet, and I read a larger number of books than the populace at large.

However, I have started to actually absorb more information while reading less. This slashdot article discusses timeshifting, and using timeshifting I "read" a great deal more.

www.audible.com is an incredible service - and I now listen to two books a month from them. I listen while driving to and from work, I also listen when at the gym or jogging. As a result, I am able to get through more books (and exercise!) than I otherwise normally would. So do I read less? Perhaps - but I am absorbing more.

Blatant plug: www.audible.com is the only site I have ever seen that actually justifies (in its own way) DRM files that I would say are worth paying for. If you like it, and sign up, say "chumkil" reccomended you. (I told you this was a blatant plug! :)

I agree that this is a great book but the title is a little misleading. It's more about the natural sciences than about 'everything'. Furthermore, if it already covers a topic you know about, you'll find it is at rather a higher level (i.e. less detailed) than other books you've read. That pretty much comes from it being a short history rather than a complete history.

It's also available from audible.com and is worth picking up from there.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned Audible.com. They have a pretty good selection of audio books and programs, but what is really nice is the selection of subscriptions, including daily taped radio programs, weekly magazines, and other goodies.

Books and subsriptions can be bought a la cart, or with their subscription plan "Audible Listener." The $15 listener plan gives you 1 book and 1 subscription per month, while the $20 plan gets you 2 books and 1 subscription

Like other legal digital audio, not everything that is available on regular audiobook format, and there is a DRM that will limit the amount of digital replications you can make, but it does allow you to burn to CD [and re-rip to whatever format you like] and listen on you iPod, provided you use iTunes (windows or mac), as well as some other MP3 players. Oh, you can listen on your computer, too.

Despite those problems, I still really like the program. I don't have to drive across town to the library or worry about return dates. Once I buy a book, I own it. And there aren't any contracts, provided you don't go with their "12-month-and-a-free-Muvo-MP3-player" plan.

Check it out, you may like it.

Before you get too excited about getting a mini iPod with the $100 rebate, please note that all of their merchants are on back order on that particular item.

Of course, 60 gigabytes won't be easy to fill with .mp3 files. I've got maybe 250 CDs collected over the years, and with every one of them ripped I've yet to fill half of my 30 Gb iPod. Until I started collecting audio books. The real utility of a .mp3 player with that much capacity is the ability to hold multible audio books and audio periodicals. I've come to realize how nice it is to have something to listen to while I'm on break or on a flight that isn't the 30-favorite songs that everyone ends up playing no matter how many .mp3 files they've got. Audio book files are quite large, and to be able to store them and your collection of music files requires drives big enough to be pretty much overkill for music alone.

NPR's policy on copyright peeves me so much. I pledge money to them every year, so I get to freely listen to news programs over the radio. Yet if I want a permanent copy (often only available in propietary formats like Real no less), I have to pay extra for it. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but it really seems like NPR should have lead the OSS revolution, producing open content even before Richard Stallman did.

Audible has them, too, by the way, for downloading online. Not sure how the cost compares.

If you want audio books I suggest episodes of This American Life instead. If you pay you can get versions from Audible.

...and into some sort of sunglasses/visor display technology (a la Snowcrash) then I think that portable/laptop gaming will move to the forefront of the various hardware platforms.

B.

It's a fantastic audiobook too. Same with the Hobbit audiobook. Audible!

Why are we trying to cram all this stuff into our lives? When you multitask your entertainment, all it does is take some of the pleasure out of it. I'd rather *read* a single book in two months and really take it in than squeeze 8 of them into the little gaps of time during the day.

It's blue and it plays music real good.

i think online media is cheaper than the printed media, and more environment friendly as well. and if if we have to pay a little bit to get online news, it is not that bad.
you can buy e-books and audio books that are cheaper than printed books. on itunes you can buy radio show, to listen at your leisure
So, what is wrong with paying a little bit money to read the news that your own leisure

if it is cheaper on a monthly basis, I might just pay the protection money to RIAA, instead of signing up for itunes/audible ;)
It is a joke. Laff!! :)

The weekend NPR show On The Media recently added a free mp3 format download of their show. I think many npr shows are reluctant to do this because they have an alternative income source by selling mp3s at audible.com.

Perhaps the recent significant contribution to npr by the McDonald's widow, and president Bush's new found appreciation for the NEA, has loosened the noose a little.

You can find mp3 streams of various npr affiliates via shoutcast.com, but I think we would all love to have a national stream, and individual shows in an open format.

The only way to get this is to A) Pledge, and B) Suggest it.

It would also be nice to download official Nova episodes in an open format.

So I returned the Dell and bought the Gateway DMP-X20. For the same cost, I got all the same features, plus an FM tuner, voice recorder, and audible.com support. So far I've been happy with the Gateway.

-tim

I've been doing this with a combination of trplayer and vsound for Real media programs. You can also buy content at audible. I've used them in the past, and it's a good service. If they supported Linux, I'd still be using them.

If you signup for an account at audible.com, they offer $100 off a few mp3s/pdas including the iPod. The catch? You've got to get a one year subscription, which will run you $180-240. I guess if you listen to audio books, its worthwhile. Any thoughts?

Join AudibleListener for 12 months and get an iPod for $100 less. Naturally you'll spend $14.95 per month on the AudibleListener account for 12 months, but you'll also get one audio magazine, newspaper or radio program plus one audiobook each month. What, you expect something for nothing?

Oh yeah. Tell 'em sdmb sent you.

You know, the one past the Oort cloud...

(Between listening to this on the plane ride home, reading Greg Bear's Blood Music, Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, and finishing Jonathan Lethem's Gun, with Occasional Music, it's been a pretty interesting vacation...)

For those of you interesting in touch-screen voting, there was a very interesting show about it on the weekly PRI (public radio) program This American Life, which discussed the problems with the system, including the Diebold system and the non-auditability of the new touch-screen voting machines. The audio isn't up on their website for free yet, but it should be here soon. For those who can't wait, you can get audio from the show at audible.com.

If you don't yes listen to This American Life yet, you should start. It's probably the best weekly show in any medium -- radio or television.

But - "War and Peace" isn't on the list of offerings from audible.com!

No, the ipod does not play ogg files, only wav, aiff, mp3 and mp4.

Damn right. I'll read short stories and fanfics and such on the computer, but if i'm going to spend a significant amount of time with it i want it in book format. It's hard to curl up in bed with a laptop. (No, i don't have a PDA, and even if i did i'd still prefer a real book)

I've recently been spending a significant amount of money at Audible.com purchasing audible books. They're not my format of choice, but they're great for listening to while commuting to work, and at $10 each when you sign up for the membership they're a pretty good deal too.

That's where listening to a book from Audible on my iPod comes in. You can even listen at work (not while doing creative work, though). It's not exactly reading but it works for some books.

Also, don't forget about audio books. They can be 100MB or more in size each.

I do it, and despite the quirky software Audible uses, it's nice. A lot better than the spotty radio around here, and like TiVo, I'm not stuck to someone's broadcast schedule.

P.S.: Those things that sound like commercials in the NPR broadcast can't be commercials, because public radio doesn't have commercials by definition. They must be "sponsorship acknowledgements."

Audible handles my audiobook addiction. I wouldn't be able to stand a player that didn't handle that format.

How bout you look into getting a subscription to This American Life at audible so that the artists get a little extra something for their work if you really want to support them.

Triv

Offtopic: if you really enjoy This American Life, consider getting a subscription from Audible.com. Without listener support, TAL (and public radio in general) won't last.

And the sound quality is better than live recording would be, as well.

I actually had the exact same experience with audiobooks. For the last month or two i've been considering buying audiobooks so i'd have something interesting to listen to during me 30+ minute commute. However if you go to Borders or Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com they cost a bloody fortune. $30 is about as low as they get, and seeing prices up in the $70s and $80s is not uncommon.

I bought one cheap audiobook (A Wizard of Earthsea) and was impressed, but the price kept putting me off. I was seriously considering looking around on filesharing systems to see if i could grab mp3s of them from somewhere. Most of the tiles i want are books i already own anyways, so i wouldn't have felt too guilty about doing so.

Then i discovered that i could buy audio files of the same books from Audible.com. Theoretically they have the same list price as the tape version, which is insane, but just about all the files there are marked down to a reasonable price, and if you're willing to sign up for a monthly account you can get any two books a month for $20.

I signed up for the one year membership since after looking through their library i could find at least 24 books i wanted and that way i could get a free mp3 player. (Yeah, it's a piece of junk player, but if i'm going to sign up for a year anyways...)

So the book-on-CD people made $30 or $40 off of me once, and then scared me away with the horible prices and the lack of availability of the books i was interested in. Audible.com put things at a reasonable price and just made $250 off me. And i would have never taken the time to find Audible.com if the CD people were pricing things at a reasonable price of $20 or so per book. (About what i'm paying now when you consider the price of CDs.)

Although Audible is a pay service, it has an enormous amount of diverse material.

I think my favorite so far has been "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman".

I signed up for two books per month and I'm WAAAY behind on listening to it all in the car (some books are as long as 24 hours).

Listen to the audiobook, The Second Coming of Steve Jobs to find out (available on Audible, tell them that "inertia186" referred you).

I want to get Car Talk and This American Life and be able to fast forward the ads.

I want to get Car Talk and This American Life and be able to fast forward the ads.

YOu can do this now (sort of) with an audible.com account - download individual shows and listen to them on an mp3 player, or burn them to CD. They currently offer This American Life and Fresh Air (AFAIK, there may be more). Give it a look.

Triv

You need a Rio or an iPaq or any of a bunch of audio-playing gimcracks that are compatible with the award-winning services offered here. And yes, last time I checked, they offered a Car Talk subscription.

I shudder in recollection of how much money I have spent there...

Can it do Audible.com audio books? If not, then it's not sufficient for my needs.

Nothing fills that long commute better than listening to a book. Hey, if you join up, make sure you use me as a referral. :)

>Obivously the music store is targeted at existing Mac users; I don't think anyone is going to switch just so they can use it.

I know 2 people who own Macs *just* for the iPod.

One bought a used Mac to use with his iPod (back when iPod was Mac-only) and the other just bought an iMac less than 3 months ago as they wanted
audible.com stuff on their iPod, as audible only supports the Mac iPod.

I use an eMac at work, and have become very fond on iTunes, and quite impressed by just the sharing capabilities of iTunes4. Not enough to buy a Mac, but I'm certainly looking forward to the PC (and hopefully linux!) iTunes.

Apple has definately got it right this time.

I thought about getting a flash based player, and probably would have, if I were just planning on playing music mp3s. However, with Books on Tape (errr...mp3) (at Audible.com for example) 256MB is not enough. I'm listening to Robert Jordan's The Shadow Rising, and it is 50 some mp3, 40 some minutes long each. The size of each is about 20MB, so I could fit about 10 on a high end flash player. Not bad, but that is only enough for 1 6 hour trip, and I've been having to travel 6 hours in one direction for my job hunting regime. Having all of the book, plus a healthy music selection for when I get bored of listening to the books, all in one easy to use unit was what sold me on the iPod.