Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

Why I Hate Flash Audio and What I Did About It


I love spoken-word audio. I've been listening to seminars, lectures, and books on tape for years.

I love downloadable audio. Missed that teleseminar you signed up for? Just download the MP3 (or Real Media, or Windows Media, or QuickTime) file and it's almost as good as being there--maybe better.

But I really dislike streaming audio of the kind you can't download, and I find the new trend to use Macromedia Flash to provide audio clips online particularly irritating.

Why? Because I don't want to have to sit in front of my computer screen to listen to something. The only time I might want to do that would be if I were taking notes, or if the recording were a set of instructions on how to do something with a computer program. When I'm at my computer, I'm usually busy doing something that requires concentration (like writing).

I want to do my listening when I'm away from my computer and doing something that occupies my hands but not my full attention. In my case, that's primarily when I'm driving and when I'm cooking. And while I could theoretically prop my laptop on the passenger seat while I drive, I can't (yet, anyway) get a connection to the Internet while going 65 miles an hour. Besides, the car stereo has much better speakers than the laptop does.

The whole point of podcasting, after all, is to allow people to download and listen at their leisure, the same way RSS news aggregators let you collect blog headlines and other news at your own convenience. These streaming-only audio clips (.ram as well as Flash) don't give you that option. And that snarks me off.

And yes, I do realize that people want to protect their intellectual property and that's one reason they use non-downloadable streaming audio. I respect that. But I don't want to sell or otherwise redistribute their material. I just want to listen to it on my time. To users of streaming audio I pose the question: would you rather I just didn't listen? Would you really prefer that I just miss your marketing message altogether?

Because that's what was happening before I thought of a way around the Flash barrier.

In May I made one of my best investments of 2005 and bought a $10 mini-stereo audio cable. I plug one end into the laptop's headphone socket and one end into the cassette recorder's microphone port. Or I plug the other end of the cable into the microphone port on the laptop and record it onto my computer to play on my new MP3 player. (My current preferred recording software is the freeware program Audacity, available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ in versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux.)

It works like a charm. I now have access to all kinds of things I never would have listened to before, all thanks to a simple cable.

Now all I need is one of those car stereos with an MP3 player built in.

(c) 2005 Sallie Goetsch

"Author-izer" Sallie Goetsch started helping other people with their writing at the age of nine. Before going into business for herself, she translated, directed, produced, and was sometimes forced to act in Greek and Roman plays, as well as founding an electronic journal. Her FileSlinger(TM) Backup Blog (http://www.fileslinger.com/blog) was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit http://authorizer.fileslinger.com to learn how to become an author whether or not you can write.


MORE RESOURCES:

Audio & Streaming - Google News

French unions: more strikes - The Age


The Age

French unions: more strikes
The Age
Websites in the Fairfax Digital Network offer streaming video and audio in the Flash format. Streaming media allows you to watch video on a website as a ...

and more »

STONE SOUR's COREY TAYLOR Talks NFL With Canada's THE SCORE - Sep. 7, 2010 - Blabbermouth.net


STONE SOUR's COREY TAYLOR Talks NFL With Canada's THE SCORE - Sep. 7, 2010
Blabbermouth.net
STONE SOUR's third album, "Audio Secrecy", is now available for streaming in its entirety at NME.com. It can also be heard using the Soundcloud player below ...

and more »

AES Outlines Broadcast and Streaming Sessions - Radio World


AES Outlines Broadcast and Streaming Sessions
Radio World
A session on audio processing for streaming will be moderated by Bill Sacks and include speakers from Omnia, Orban and CBS. Tom Ray of Buckley Broadcasting, ...

Streaming Your Entire Computer to a Television - New York Times (blog)


New York Times (blog)

Streaming Your Entire Computer to a Television
New York Times (blog)
The main device, a Wireless USB Audio & Video Display Adapter Set, costs $170 and is designed specifically to stream content from a computer directly to a ...

In Stores Now: NHL 2011 (PS3 & XBox 360) - Inside Pulse (blog)


Inside Pulse (blog)

In Stores Now: NHL 2011 (PS3 & XBox 360)
Inside Pulse (blog)
Inside Pulse also uses and recommends the following technologies - Blubrry Power Press for Streaming Audio Podcasts and streaming video.

and more »

EBU Approves StreamTheWorld for Radio - Radio World


EBU Approves StreamTheWorld for Radio
Radio World
... agreement with StreamTheWorld, part of Ando Media group, that makes the company's live audio streaming platform available to all EBU radio members. ...

Alereon Powers New Imation Link(TM) Wireless A/V Extender - MarketWatch (press release)


eCoustics.com (press release)

Alereon Powers New Imation Link(TM) Wireless A/V Extender
MarketWatch (press release)
"Streaming audio and video from a laptop to an HDTV or projector is today's killer app,'" said Jason Elles, Imation global brand manager. ...
Imation Link Wireless A/V ExtendereCoustics.com (press release)
Alereon Wins ImationTexas Tech Pulse (blog)

all 14 news articles »

Apple teases third-party AirPlay support, but details are scarce - CNET (blog)


Telegraph.co.uk

Apple teases third-party AirPlay support, but details are scarce
CNET (blog)
Compatibility for Apple's AirPlay network audio streaming is coming to third-party audio products soon. According to an updated page on ...
Apple Debuts New Apple TV StrategyPhone Plus (blog)
Apple TV swings hard but missesCNNMoney
AirPlay: Like AirTunes, Only More SoTheAppleBlog (blog)
MacDailyNews (blog) -The Guardian (blog) -Macgasm (blog)
all 1,491 news articles »

New HP Laptops Feature 3D, Wireless HDTV Streaming - PC World

Watch Apple September 1 Event Live Video Stream and Audio - QuickPWN (blog)


The Hindu

Watch Apple September 1 Event Live Video Stream and Audio
QuickPWN (blog)
watch Apple September 1 Event Live Video Stream with Audio tomorrow, September 1, at 10:00 AM PDT or 1:00 PM EST time. Just go here to watch the music event ...
iOS 4.2 for iPad coming in November, adds wireless printing and Air PlayApple Insider
Apple iPod Event: Rumor vs. RealityPC Magazine
Apple Press Conference Streaming NowMTV.com (blog)
MacVideo.tv -Insanely Great Mac -Seattle Times
all 3,253 news articles »

NewsScape Domain Is For Sale - $3,500 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.NewsScape.biz 2010

home | site map | links

 

eXTReMe Tracker