Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nintendo's First Podcast

Posted by Zonk on from the big-n-entering-the-modern-era dept.

celerityfm writes "With the US release of an MP3/multimedia player add-on for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance just around the corner, Nintendo is already busy creating content for it with their first Podcast, produced by podcast pioneer Carl Franklin. Check out the first episode, it's all about Nintendogs." Commentary is available at Press the Buttons. From that post:"From the sound of things, girls love Nintendogs. Dog training tips are exchanged, fans are briefly interviewed, and even a parent weighs in now and then. Ms. McCollom's segment goes in to why girls are apt to love raising portable puppies and just how the Nintendo DS's wireless mode enables gamers to meet new players and their dogs. Teen People even proclaims the experience 'better than Barbie', so if that's not a young girl stamp of approval, I don't know what is. "

49 comments

  1. Description lagging by Mr.Dippy · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here is more info/price on the Nintendo media player http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000537028472/

    --


    -Dipster
  2. The Play-Yan interests me by Guspaz · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've been debating importing one for quite some time. Originally I discarded the idea because it turned out that videos encoded for the thing could only handle mono 8khz audio (Yes, eight kilohertz), which sounded horrible. However, a recent firmware update added support for AAC audio in the videos, allowing up to 320kbit 48khz stereo.

    What put me off importing is the price; the unit costs $50 US in japan, but the importers sell it for $80, even before shipping costs. I understand they want to make a profit, but a 60% markup over retail is a bit much. Because it is expected to sell for $50 when it comes to North America, I think I'll probably just wait for it to be available here instead of importing.

    When you think about it, the unit is really rather impressive. A hardware MPEG-4 decoder that can handle video at over a megabit, and AAC audio over 320kbit, at the same time, and it costs only $50.

    My laptop also has an SD slot, so I can save some cash on an SD reader.

    The only downside of the play-yan is that while it can be used in the DS, it only displays content at GBA resolution; the upcoming M3, a similar device, uses a PassMe type solution to allow it to run both in a GBA and on a DS at native res. This means that if I purchase the Play-Yan for my GBA, if I get a DS I won't be able to take advantage of the additional screen space.

    Oh well. I'll probably still pick one up when it launches here.

  3. Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by tod_miller · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Look, there is no reason for the word podcasting to exist.

    It is one of those words when you first hear it you imagine this immense technology behind it. But no, it is a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML.

    Wow. I realise that Audio available through a non-html interface, i.e. a 'play list' application is good, but there is no reason to call this crap podcasting, any more than it is to call downloading a zip file of the internet spudcasting.

    It makes no sense.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
    1. Re:Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by LKM · · Score: 2, Insightful
      a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML

      Yeah, that sounds better than podcast.

      you're right, no reason for this word to exist. I'm sure your mom knows that an "url" and "xml" are.

      And now I'm going to watch some picture wave signals on my picture wave signal decoder.

    2. Re:Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by FriedTurkey · · Score: 2, Funny

      I agree. And what is with this word "sandwich"? All it is meat and bread? Why don't we just call it what it is meat and bread? Is it a revolutionary thing to just put some damn meat on some bread??? Sure it is easier to say than meat and bread but why do we need these trendy words?

    3. Re:Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It is one of those words when you first hear it you imagine this immense technology behind it. But no, it is a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML.

      Jesus Christ. How many times does this stupid notion have to be corrected on Slashdot, where the readers are SUPPOSED to be just a WEE BIT smarter than the norm? (No, I'm not new here.)

      Podcasting is not just "a link to an audio file in some XML". It is the ability for anyone, professional or amateur, to record an audio program in serial fashion, and allow someone to EASILY SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest version of the show in their favorite listening device.

      Your description of it is like saying a website is just text that you can download via HTTP. While technically that is true, it is in how it is used that makes it new and unique. I may remind you, "the web" used to be a buzzword, until it became ubiquitous.

      --
      Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
    4. Re:Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by Intocabile · · Score: 1

      Except almost every story involving a mp3 calls it a podcast regardless if it is or not.

  4. Paid off? by ElectricBrain · · Score: 1

    If you listen to the interviews in the Podcast, it really sounds like it's all scripted. I mean, do 'ordinary' people really reply with these kinds of answers?

    1. Re:Paid off? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      I was surprised at the quotes they managed to get as well BUT if you look at who produced the show it explains alot- Carl Franklin's PWOP Productions produced the show and I'd say that Carl is one of the only folks, besides Adam Curry, making real money off of podcasting-- he's earning $120k a year in sponsorship for his .NET Rocks podcast and has been doing podcasts before the word podcast existed.

      If you get someone who knows what their doing behind a microphone it's definitely possible to get good quotes from people. :)

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    2. Re:Paid off? by mister_slim · · Score: 1

      I haven't listened to the podcast, but a good interviewer, properly edited, will produce a very professional product. There's a reason all those man-on-the-street and witness-to-the-tragedy tv spots come off the way they do: pathos.

    3. Re:Paid off? by CarlFranklin · · Score: 1

      I can guarantee you nobody was prompted or paid off. It was truly just like that. These kids were going nuts. Sales numbers reflect that too http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?t ype=technologyNews&storyID=2005-09-01T175232Z_01_M AR164333_RTRIDST_0_TECH-MEDIA-NINTENDO-DC.XML. This thing is huge.

  5. Not flamebait by tod_miller · · Score: 1

    Look, you have to see calling it 'pod' casting for nintendo is a little skeptical. Who is the self-righteous person who coined this phrase?

    I just know that bloggers and techno-fans everywhere went into full scale hump alert when this new word came around.

    People who have never, and I mean NEVER thought about recording their voice into an audio file, and placing it online, suddenly were... COMPELLED to, as if somehow some new technology had some about that made it possible.

    IF there was a new technology, or even a new xml spec, then maybe it would be valid.

    Since there isn't, then it isn't. Plus it grates at me. Forget nails on a blackboard, I am talking glass on my nerve endings.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
    1. Re:Not flamebait by sesshomaru · · Score: 1
      It's not because a new technology exists, it's because it recently became trendy (MP3 players, specifically iPods).

      I think its supposed to sound revolutionary as in, "With iPod, now anyone can broadcast (or podcast) their own radio show."

      As to who coined it, I'll bet dollars to donuts that they work for Apple. (Even if the first time the term appeared was in PR as opposed to marketing.)

      ...mmm... donuts.... glargh....

      Um, excuse me... where was I. Oh, I was going to say that in this case, DS/GBA-casting would be a better term, since I'm guessing that Nintendo is trying to put content out there for the new Play Yan player.

      Of course, to me, unless it is a really long audio file, the place I'm most likely to listen to it is at my computer, rather than downloading it to my Zodiac (I'm getting a DS for my birthday, but I'll be getting a Play Yan for myself, um, never. I may buy one for my girlfriends little girl though...)

      --
      "MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
    2. Re:Not flamebait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      went into full scale hump alert

      Would Drudge use his flashing siren GIF for this?

  6. The New M3 Adapter is More Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Aparently a new device for the GBA and DS that supports Homebrew is to be released soon called the M3 Adapter and boasts these features: With unique Super Real Time Save Function, easily operates and it can revive without limits. CF/SD card +Reader can be used as a U disk and it only needs drag here and there when the game is burning. Saves money: CF/SD card can also be used in digital camera and other products, and you can share your card as you need it without the need to buy a dedicated card for your NDS/GBA. Supports GBA Games, FC games, Emulator games, GBA Movies, E-book, Cartoon books, browse pictures, enjoy music and so on. Supports 4-key reboot to Rom menu function, and supports 4-key reboot beginning function.

  7. Adam Curry by LKM · · Score: 1
    Who is the self-righteous person who coined this phrase?

    I think Adam Curry coined the word.

  8. Technically their second by celerityfm · · Score: 1

    Regardless of whether you call this a podcast or not, this is big news. Podcasts represent a way for companies to communicate with customers in ways that press releases can't. Nintendo should try to have as much dialog as they can with customers as they begin their "revolutionary" journey and podcasting is a great way to accomplish that.

    Now technically this isn't their first podcast because they released the audio of Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference and called THAT a podcast. When I submitted the article I had a different title to try to reflect this fact BUT the title as is works- for all intents and purposes this really IS their podcast since it's an actual show and they intend to have more then one episode!

    --
    ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    1. Re:Technically their second by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      /really IS their FIRST podcast/ ...

      I hit the submit button by mistake! I swear! :)

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  9. Isn't it really just a GBA product? by nobodyman · · Score: 1

    The slashdot and engadget articles mention it being an add on for the DS, but your post and the wikipedia article indicate that it's just a GBA game that is simply DS compatible just like any other single player GBA game.

    Do you get any sort of benefit from using the DS? The touch screen gives the potential for easier (much easier) navigation (forget about fast forward, just tap anywhere on the playback timeline), but if it's just a GBA title... yuck.

    1. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 2, Informative

      It is just a GBA title. On the DS it still works, but at GBA resolution (Which is a lower than the DS).

      None of this matters for music of course, but for video it does.

      The restriction comes from this using the GBA socket. It has to, really, since the DS socket is so tiny. But because it uses the GBA socket, it has to stay in GBA mode. The DS is very strict about that, and it requires hacked firmware, or a PassMe (goes into DS socket, plug DS game into passme, passme redirects DS execution to GBA slot).

      The M3 uses a passme-type device. Despite the fact that the M3 uses the GBA slot and works on GBA, thanks to the hardware hack it is also able to run in DS mode at native res.

      The M3's site can be found at http://www.m3adapter.com/

      Of course, the M3 isn't out yet, and I have a GBA, so the added bulk and probably added cost isn't really worth it for me.

    2. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Good post. I wonder if Nintendo has any plans to extend upgrade the Play-Yan to take advantage of DS functions like the stylus/etc in order to better compete with the M3?

      Not to mention the possibility of WIFI connectivity with the Play-Yan. Imagine streaming podcasts, videos/etc over wifi right onto the Play-Yan. HOT!

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    3. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      While streaming podcasts and videos seems neat at first thought, I don't think in practice it would be all that handy. Any place I have a wifi connection I'd rather be using something like a laptop. If I'm at home I'd rather not be watching stuff on the small screen of a DS, and even if I wanted to, I could copy stuff to the SD card.

      Extending the Play-Yan to take advantage of the DS's capabilities would be nice, though unlike you I'd say that using the full screen size would be more important than stylus support. After all, once you're watching/listening to something, you're non-interactive, but using all the screen instead of black borders around the image would certainly improve the user experience.

      I suppose it IS possible to do this with the play-yan. Since Nintendo can change the DS's firmware all they want, it is certainly possible for them to add support for this to the DS itself. After all, hacked firmware is already available to do it, the difference is that Nintendo would be able to apply security so that you can't just run any DS code off the GBA slot. However without knowing more about how the Play-Yan and DS interact, I don't know if you could also upgrade that with a simple software update.

      So while it is possible to get the DS doing what you want with a simple software update, I think that a hardware update might be needed for the Play-Yan. I'm no expert though, I'm only guessing.

      It doesn't look like they have any immediate plans to do this, though. Nintendo seems to think the Play-Yan is good enough, and it might very well be; there is a lot to be said for having ONE single product that will work on the GBA, GBA SP, GBA Micro, and DS, without modification. That certainly helps keep the costs down rather than having to produce a seperate unit for the DS. I would also guess that part of the reason they're doing it this way for now is that the number of DS users is currently tiny compared to the number of GBA users.

    4. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Another great post sir! Keep em coming.

      I agree with you that using the full screen is more important then stylus support! I said "stylus/etc" but by leaving the other features out I was just trying to not be redundant rather then rate their importance.

      You're right though about them probably not messing with it... being compatible with so many consoles all at once is awesome... heh.. when do we start seeing people putting play-yans in gamecube game boy players and making a Nintendo HTPC? :P

      As it is now people will likely be able to use existing podcatchers and vidcatching clients with the play-yan and just sync to the SD card, so wifi syncing of podcasts/etc isn't really neccesary, but would be cool.

      HOWEVER I would LOVE my iPod to wirelessly sync and if Nintendo were to do this with the Play-Yan I think we'd see Apple push that feature through pretty quickly given the large GBA install base and that with the Play-Yan Nintendo is effectively competing with Apple.

      Now just to confuse things further I think I'll link to the GameBoy emulator for iPod!

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    5. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 2, Informative

      You're right though about them probably not messing with it... being compatible with so many consoles all at once is awesome... heh.. when do we start seeing people putting play-yans in gamecube game boy players and making a Nintendo HTPC? :P

      An interesting thought, and one that is almost possible. The Play-Yan can actually decode video up to about 352x288, but can only display it at 240x160 due to the limitations of the GBA screen. If the GB player didn't have to follow the GBA resolution requirements it could certainly allow the GameCube to play back cable-TV quality content.

      As it is now people will likely be able to use existing podcatchers and vidcatching clients with the play-yan and just sync to the SD card, so wifi syncing of podcasts/etc isn't really neccesary, but would be cool.

      Not quite. The Play-Yan, at least with the new firmware, is only halfway there. It supports the MP4 fileformat, and it is very easy to encode/transcode for/to it with ffmpeg. However it is highly unlikely that existing content on the internet will play without transcoding. This probably isn't an issue though. ffmpeg is quite fast, it is opensource, and as a command line tool it should be easy to throw into whatever pipeline you want to use to get content onto the Play-Yan. Simply set your setup to transcode the file before copying it onto the SD card and you are set.

      HOWEVER I would LOVE my iPod to wirelessly sync and if Nintendo were to do this with the Play-Yan I think we'd see Apple push that feature through pretty quickly given the large GBA install base and that with the Play-Yan Nintendo is effectively competing with Apple.

      Ah, but the GBA install base is only a potential. It only becomes a real competitor if the Play-Yan install base is significant. 100 million people could own GBAs, but if Nintendo only sells 1 million Play-Yans, they aren't exactly cutting into the iPod Shuffle marketspace.

      Not to mention that the cost of a GBA, plus Play-Yan, plus 1GB SD card exceeds the cost of a iPod Shuffle. The 1GB iPod Shuffle goes for about $129 US, while if we say the GBA can be had for $50, the Play-Yan is $50, and perhaps $100 for a decent 1GB SD card, we're already approaching double the cost of an iPod Shuffle.

      Of course, the iPod Shuffle doesn't play video, nor does it play games, and it doesn't even have a screen, so that extra $70 gets you a lot of extra functionality. Still, I think the two market spaces are far enough apart that they won't interfere with eachother.

      It should be noted that one of the reasons the Play-Yan works more reliably than other unofficial solutions is that the Play-Yan has dedicated decoding hardware onboard in the form of an MPEG-4 decoder chip. This is how it manages to decode 352x288 video at 1mbit with 320kbit AAC audio in realtime. Even writing your own video playing solution for the gameboy and running it in an emulator, it would be unlikely that you'd be able to match the Play-Yan's performance. However, you would certainly be able to get some video decoding working; the generation 2 Gameboy Movie Player accessory (The predecessor to the M3) relied entirely on the Gameboy CPU, if I recall correctly. It was forced to use special audio and video codecs.

      Of course a GBA emulator for the iPod is still really cool :)

    6. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Suddenly_Dead · · Score: 1

      Nintendo has said that the DS can use "expansion carts" (or such) in the GBA slot. They could possibly create a player for the DS specifically that is on a standard DS game card, and uses an SD adapter in the GBA slot.

      I'm not completely certain how it works, though I know certain games (AW:DS) can detect what is in that GBA slot.

      (Hoorah, I used "GBA slot" in every sentence)

    7. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Suddenly_Dead · · Score: 1

      Ah, here's an example. Link.

    8. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Yes, which I gather is rather how the PassMe works. It is a device that plugs into the DS slot, and you then plug a DS game into the PassMe. The PassMe uses the game for authentication, but redirects execution to the GBA slot.

      This is the current method for running homebrew games. It stands to reason that an official game can do the same thing by itself. I suppose it is possible that we might see an update to the Play-Yan that incldues a DS cart to run the required DS code, but who knows how flexible the Play-Yan is. That is, how much it can be modified via firmware.

    9. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Sorry for the late response, hopefully you won't miss this post :P

      Another great post sir, very very insightful and informative stuff on all counts. You really know your stuff!

      Though the link I posted was just a Gameboy emulator, not a GBA emulator :P Maybe someday they'll figure out how to pull off GBA emulation on the iPod but they are still struggling to just get GB going on it :)

      So while I've got your attention, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Nintendo Revolution "mystery" controller.. care to speculate on it?

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    10. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Don't mistake me for somebody who is smart, I just read a lot ;)

      I think GBA emulation on the iPod is highly unlikely; it seems the current issue with the iPod GB emulator is speed. The original GB had a Z80 processor, while the GBA had an ARM7 processor, IIRC. Much more complex.

      As for the mystery controller, your guess is as good as mine. There are mentions of tilt resistance via gyroscopes, but I'm not thrilled with the idea; I've seen enough people playing games move their controllers all around as if it will make their characters move further, and quite honestly I really don't want to see that as part of most games.

      I think some sort of configurability might be more likely. There has been mention of a touchpad, which might work out. Games could ship with small cutouts that you insert on top of the touchpad, thereby allowing for several custom controls for each game. A trackball in place of or in addition to the/an analog stick might lead to some interesting gameplay mechanics, but I think that such an control might not fit in with certain types of games.

      To be honest, I haven't payed the Revolution much attention. The GameCube was a flop compared to the PS2 and XBOX, which I'm convinced is due to Nintendo policy more than the system itself. They have been so secretive with the Revolution that they haven't really given me any reason to pay attention. That and the fact that Nintendo is way behind the ball with the Revolution expected to ship some time in 2006 and 2007, I'm more focused on the 360 and PS3 right now.

      On interesting feature of the Revolution is that Nintendo is going to stick a bunch of emulators on it. NES/SNES/N64/GameCube are looking likely, so they're going to cover the entire spectrum. The console has 512MB of flash memory for storage of games. They may not even be limited to Nintendo consoles. The creator of Sonic the Hedgehog has expressed hopes that the Sega Genesis will also be emulated, something that Sega may support now that they're out of the hardware business and into the business of writing games for Nintendo hardware.

      Gah, I've gone off rambling again. I'll admit I was planning on buying a 360 until the cost was announced to be $400 US, which is a bit more than I'm willing to spend on a console once you factor in the first few games and the VGA adapter and the mandatory bundles that most retailers have planned.

    11. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by stonecypher · · Score: 1

      But because it uses the GBA socket, it has to stay in GBA mode.

      This isn't actually true, though. There are several known scenarios under which the DS will attempt to boot from the GBA slot in DS mode, under which in the boot menu you will see the phrase "DS Expansion Pak."

      We don't know how to intentionally invoke that yet, but that doesn't mean that it can't be dome.

      The M3 uses a passme-type device.

      Ahem. The passme is a FPGA or CPLD which sits between the DS slot and a DS cart, allowing the DS cart to perform authentication, then stepping in and injecting a branch to the GBA cart. You by definition cannot have a passme in the GBA slot. The M3 uses the DS Expansion Pak mode to inject the jump command. The technique is similar to, but significantly different from, the Passme.

      Mod parent down.

      --
      StoneCypher is Full of BS
    12. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Ahem. The passme is a FPGA or CPLD which sits between the DS slot and a DS cart, allowing the DS cart to perform authentication, then stepping in and injecting a branch to the GBA cart. You by definition cannot have a passme in the GBA slot. The M3 uses the DS Expansion Pak mode to inject the jump command. The technique is similar to, but significantly different from, the Passme.

      Mod parent down.

      Ahem. I never claimed that the M3 had a passme in the GBA slot. It ships with a device similar to the PassMe that requires an original DS game to be plugged into it. To me, a device that when looked at from a blackbox perspective is identical can be considered a "passme-type device".

      You seem to just be repeating my other posts, what exactly do you consider worth modding down?

    13. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by stonecypher · · Score: 1

      You seem to just be repeating my other posts, what exactly do you consider worth modding down?

      The part where you say software on a GBA cart cannot be run in DS mode.

      --
      StoneCypher is Full of BS
    14. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      It can't, not without anything in the DS slot. And certainly not currently without hacked firmware or a hardware hack. Please point out a site with proof that a great breakthrough has been made to allow you to run DS code off a GBA cart with nothing but a GBA cart and a stock DS. The point that you've been missing is that I don't think that the Play-Yan can suddenly become a DS product, not with a simple firmware update to the Play-Yan.

      I suppose it is entirely possible that Nintendo could issue a firmware update to the DS to do this, and then a firmware update to the Play-Yan to include the DS code. But I don't know enough about such things to know how possible or easy it is.

    15. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Very good stuff. That stuff about a touchpad with slip covers reminds me of the atari 5200 controllers... I would prefer to see a touchscreen that doesn't need overlays and something with haptics for example sounds sooo awesome. I think a gyroscope would be useful for not very sensitive, yet somehow useful EXTRA DIMENSION of control but not for main control for the reasons you listed there.

      Of course what I really want is the Nintendo ON. But we can only dream of course.

      As far as the Gamecube being a flop I have to wonder how well it would have sold in the pre-playstation era, before gaming was "cool" and mtv-ified. I don't think the people who were brought into the fold by Sony's marketing in the 90s would have ever bought a Nintendo or cared about Mario, so is it such a bad thing that those same people still aren't buying a Nintendo console?

      Hasn't Nintendo sold more Gamecubes then Microsoft has sold Xboxes worldwide?

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
    16. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Last I heard the Gamecube and XBox had sold more or less the same worldwide, with the XBox a bit ahead, but that was a while ago.

      The main reason for this is that the XBox failed in Japan, whereas the GameCube failed in other markets. In the North American market, the GameCube was a failure when compared to the PS2 and XBox. My opinion is that this is because Nintendo targetted a much smaller market (younger kids) by selling the unit at a lower price than the other consoles and offering more youth-oriented games.

    17. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Well. Here's hoping that Nintendo continues to create consoles. I still mourn the loss of Sega.

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  10. Nintendos First Podcast? by Doctor+Tesla · · Score: 1

    So they recorded a downloadable message? Seems odd that it took Nintendo so long. I mean, my little sister downloaded a podcast last year. And really, it is NOT a podcast. There were mp3 players before the iPod. They were downloading pre-recorded Radio shows before the iPod. You don't need an iPod to do it. The term DAPcast is becoming increasingly accurate and necessary. But anal retentive technology classifications aside, it's good to see that the PSP is getting some competition, and that the features of the DS are being expanded. If they could get the thing online, that would be great. God knows the touch screen would make it a lot more ergonomic than the PSPs limited interface.

    1. Re:Nintendos First Podcast? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DAP. Hooray. Another TLA.

      Why not reuse an existing abbreviation (MP3cast) or just call it by a neutral word (Audiocast)? I can play an MP3 file on my computer, too.

    2. Re:Nintendos First Podcast? by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      Well it's because podcasts aren't necessarily in MP3 format. Many are in AAC format.

      Then again not all podcasts are heard on iPods, so what can you do? :)

      DAPCast fails I think because it doesn't incorporate video. DVPCast? Negative. Podcast works for videos too (and there are video podcasts!)

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  11. Feed by Orkie · · Score: 1

    Does anybody know if there is a feed avalible for it rather than just the audio? It isn't really a podcast without one.

    1. Re:Feed by celerityfm · · Score: 1

      According to my sources they are working on an RSS feed. Best thing to do is to post comments on the the producer's weblog with requests for a feed. That way he can try to light a fire under Nintendo to get one set up faster!

      --
      ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  12. Close but no cigar sir. by celerityfm · · Score: 2, Informative

    From the wikipedia article you linked to:

    "Possibly the first use of the term podcasting was as a synonym for audioblogging or weblog-based amateur radio in an article by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian on February 12, 2004." Adam Curry didn't event the word, but he did help popularize it.

    What's interesting in light of all the talk these days over the term "podcast" is that many of the people who were doing it back in 2004 resisted people calling it "podcasting"! In fact there was an ongoing bet between the original hosts of the Engadget podcast as to whether or not the word "podcast" would stick or not. Well. The rest is history.

    AJAX anyone?

    --
    ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  13. slashdotted? by fool36 · · Score: 1

    here's an alternate url: http://nintendo.pwop.com/dogdaysevent.mp3

  14. Re:Zonk must go! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There needs to be an "+1 Offtopic, but oh, so true" mod category.

  15. I see the argument of 'new words' by tod_miller · · Score: 1

    I thought about my explaination of 'audio file in xml' and realised, what would I call it?

    But the problem isn't the notion of this word, it is the fact that before the word 'podcasting' nobody wanted to put up mp3's of their voice, and have people download it via RSS...

    Maybe it was the simple realisation that binary files linked over RSS could be fun as well.

    Anyway, regardless - the parent is right about misuse of this word now. Maybe I am just hypersensitive, but in a word of AJAX, JSON, SAX, DOM, XML, XSLT, SOAP, WSDL, CSS, SMIL, SVG, file types, jargon, buzz words and geekspeak I guess I feel annoyed and a little put out when 'the unwashed masses' (could that be used to desribe non-geeks without being overly contrary?) get their own buzz words, and I have to look them up and find out they are not really anything much.

    I agree, it is the concept rather than the technology that is labelled here. Still I hate the word blogging, blog, vlog et al. (moblog)...

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
  16. Re:Zonk must go! by celerityfm · · Score: 1

    Ok so what's the beef with Zonk? I missed the scandal apparently...

    --
    ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
  17. New Play-yan Micro by BIGmog · · Score: 1

    Nintendo of Japan is already officially dropping support for the Play Yan on Sept 11th. It's going to be replaced with the Play-yan Micro, a unit specially designed for the upcoming Game Boy Micro. The new unit seems almost identical to the old one. Which one will America get?

    --
    V O T E F O R M O G