npr

Livio and NPR team up on new Wi-Fi radio

Livio broke onto the Wi-Fi radio scene with the Livio Radio, featuring a "less is more" design philosophy that focused on Pandora's streaming music service. Today the company has announced a new Wi-Fi radio in the same vein, The NPR Radio ($200), which puts the focus on easily finding NPR content.

The backbone of The NPR Radio is the NPR menu, which is programmed by NPR and aggregates all of the company's content into a single menu, so you can easily find the NPR station you're looking for without having to know the station's … Read more

NPR hosts unique Digital Think-In with Silicon Valley thought leaders

Forgive me but I have to plug something my company (Frog Design) is involved in. I'm only doing this because it is such a neat event: In collaboration with Frog, NPR will host a unique Digital Think In this Friday in our offices in San Francisco, bringing together 60 thought leaders at the intersection of media and technology to explore new approaches to content creation, distribution, and funding for NPR and NPR member stations.

Hosted by NPR CEO and President Vivian Schiller and Digital Media SVP and General Manager Kinsey Wilson, the Think In will harness the collective expertise … Read more

Crappy Clunker Yugo Taken out by Tank!

As we've seen this week, some automobiles generally referred to as "lemons" or "clunkers" find new life as modified street racing cars or as nostalgia novelty acts. But some cars are so lame and unattractive that they're forever known as a joke vehicle. Probably the best example is presented here for you today in the form of the Yugo 45.

The Yugo is a crappy little compact that was foisted upon the American market from Europe, and was belittled so much in the States that in 1991 the Yugo couldn't even break 4,… Read more

NPR's news app and a game where you play as a spider: iPhone apps of the week

In my business, I deal with all kinds of software from different categories and platforms every day. There's a lot of great software out there for every platform (and certainly some bad ones, too), but once in a while you find something so unique it truly shines. I wouldn't say the app I'm talking about today is the best game I've ever played, but the design, music, and interface are not really found in any other game and are truly something to behold on the iPhone. Let's just say, I've played plenty of iPhone … Read more

Paint with layers and defend the earth: iPhone apps of the week

Before I get to this week's apps, the folks over at Public Radio Exchange let me know there's a new version of Public Radio Tuner (which I've featured here before). Now called Public Radio Player, this new version has been redesigned from the ground up with a new interface, added station schedule information, and new On Demand radio shows you can stream. Past episodes of This American Life, Fresh Air, and many other popular public radio shows can now be streamed whenever you want to listen.

At the iTunes Store, I noticed a lot of the comments … Read more

iPhone Public Radio app adds on-demand content

Is today my birthday? No? Because I just got one helluva gift: Public Radio Player 2.0, the latest version of the killer radio-streaming app, which now lets you listen to your favorite shows on-demand.

Missed last week's "This American Life"? No problem. The app has the latest episode. Want to catch up on "Talk of the Nation Science Friday?" You'll find several weeks' worth of back catalog. Same goes for "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me," "Fresh Air," "Marketplace," and countless other radio gems.

Granted, you can … Read more

Public radio for iPhone

Public Radio Tuner is a free app that gives you fast, live access to high-quality radio programming on hundreds of public radio stations, in your area or from anywhere in the country--even over slower EDGE connections. This excellent, easy-to-use app has added many refinements since its introduction, and you can now browse by state, search for call letters or other descriptors, find local stations using your device's GPS location, and easily create a list of favorites.

Public Radio Tuner isn't a general purpose radio tuner, though--it can only help you listen to public radio stations, primarily with NPR … Read more

The Wall Street gold-diggers site is a joke, right?

They are surely Mistresses of the Universe.

Two writers and a lawyer created the site Dabagirls.com. Yes. Dating a Banker Anonymous.

The site purports to be a support group for all the forlorn women who have been unlucky enough to share their thread count with a Wall Street banker. But is it merely a fun wheeze to make oodles of cash from a little satirical jape or two?

According to the site's soulful opening lines: "Dating A Banker Anonymous is a safe place where women can come together--free from the scrutiny of feminists--and share their tearful tales … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 876: A year without lawsuits, how did you know?

The RIAA has given us the greatest gift of all this holiday season, a promise not to sue you. However they are enlisting the ISPs into their fight against piracy. We also talk about how Universal is making bank, Apple fans are planning protests (Shah), and wish a fond farewell to Majel Barrett. Listen now: Download today's podcast Episode 876

In these troubled times, RIAA can’t afford to sue you http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10127003-93.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122966038836021137.html http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-recording-industry-moves-away-from-lawsuits-enlists-isps-in-piracy-figh/

Universal Music seeing ‘tens of millions’ from YouTube http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10126439-93.html… Read more

Was 1980s music that bad?

A couple days ago, NPR's All Songs Considered asked listeners to vote on which year had the best music. (The poll is here--you have to answer it to see overall results.) Unsurprisingly given NPR's demographic, the 1960s scored high, with top year 1969 figuring in 9 percent of all responses. More surprisingly, the 1990s also did quite well, with 1991 (grunge) and 1994 (alternative) both scoring 4 percent. There was also a little uptick in 1977--the year punk broke for the first time scored 4 percent. But the 1980s were a bleak wasteland, however, with all years … Read more