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Yahoo Launches New Podcasting Service

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the love-my-presidential-playlist dept.

sdirrim writes to tell us Reuters is reporting that Yahoo! has just released a test version of its new podcasting service From the (short) article: "Yahoo's new service will allow users to download shows from National Public Radio, the weekly presidential address, and independent shows with subjects ranging from sports to knitting." Additionally Yahoo! Podcast users have the ability to rate shows.

6 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by SoCalChris · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now I'll get to listen to even more poorly produced podcasts put on by people who have no business behind a microphone.

    Some of the podcasts are pretty good (The ones produced by NPR are generally good), but almost all of the other's I've heard I can't stand to listen to for more than a minute or two.

    I wish Apple or Yahoo would come up with a way to rate the podcasts, so I know right off which ones to not even bother wasting my time with.

    1. Re:Great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      MOD PARENT UP! It's not redundant, it's insightful! Most people that podcast (should be called blogcast) have no business doing so. Most peoples blogs/podcasts simply make them look like idiots. I have yet to find a podcast that I have been able to listen to for more than a few minutes. Diggnation is IMO the worst podcast I have ever listened too. It's just two "wannabe" hacker jackasses regurgitating whatever has been all over the Internet for the last month or more....

  2. Re:Rating.. by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 3, Insightful
    and I don't like much of the new music these days

    I'm always puzzled by this. There's probably a wider variety of music available today than at any time in history. Just last week I ran across some really great new progressive stuff out of Holland. You just need to look beyond the top 40 lists. Most of the new stuff I listen to will probably never be played by any radio station anywhere. You just have to look for it. Gosh, if only there were some sort of tool for that. Like some sort of international network or something. ;-)

  3. Re:Oh for the love of God podcast is a stupid name by Tsiangkun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Technically, sure, it's just downloading mp3s.

    But, when it's done through iTunes, using RSS to autmatically grab new content from sites, it's starts to become something different. When the player keeps track of how much of the podcast has been played, and automatically manages the downloaded content according to user criteria, it becomes a podcast.

    Yes, you can just download the mp3, but it's the iTunes experience that makes the system complete.
    I used to think it was dumb too, but now I'm hooked.

    I like knowing which shows I've heard, and which I still need to have a listen, and being able to pick up where I left off when I get interupted. iTunes, presents this information in a very intuitive way, and just downloading the mp3 doesn't, using RSS or not.

  4. Nothing too special by Transcendent · · Score: 4, Insightful

    NPR already allows you to download a "podcast" from their website. Yahoo just collects it and gives you another link to it.

  5. This American Life by Skim123 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I like many of the PBS radio programs, but it's frustrating that (IMHO) their best show - This American Life - is not podcastable. Boo.

    --

    I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.