Watch out for that stair car... and any of the other numerous running jokes from resurrected cult hit "Arrested Development."
In honor of the show's triumphant return to Netflix, with 15 new episodes set to start streaming May 26, NPR has compiled, logged, and cross-referenced all the recurring gags from the show's original three seasons to make sure you don't miss a beat.… Read more
Can't make it to this year's South by Southwest (aka SXSW) conference in Austin? At least you don't have to miss out on the music.
As part of its SXSW: Live from Austin series, NPR is offering The Austin 100 -- a collection of 100 songs by 100 artists, all in MP3 format, all absolutely free.
And I mean really and truly free: There's nothing to register for, no form to complete, and not a single Facebook or Twitter sharing requirement.
Just scroll down a bit until you see the Download the Music box on the … Read more
Finding new music has never been easier, and music podcasts are my favorite discovery path. I prefer shows with hosts that put music in context. That's why I like discussion and music sets, and occasional interviews with musicians and live performances. The shows listed below (for the most part) can be downloaded and played back when you're ready to hear them.
WNYC's John Schaefer has two daily programs, Soundcheck, which features a wide mix of music genres, interviews, and live-on-the-radio performances; and New Sounds, which, if anything, covers an even wider range of music styles. Each episode … Read moreThe makers of the popular public radio program "This American Life" are now retracting a January episode that contained a damning monologue on Apple and its manufacturing practices in China.
That monologue came from actor Mike Daisey, who penned his one-man play, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," after traveling to Shenzhen, China, to visit a handful of factories. That trip included Foxconn, where most of Apple's hardware is manufactured.
"Daisey lied to me and to This American Life producer Brian Reed during the fact checking we did on the story, before … Read more
Workers injured in a December blast at a Chinese factory say that Apple inspectors toured the facility hours before the accident.
NPR spoke with 25 injured workers who criticized safety conditions at the plant and said they were instructed not to speak with the Apple contingent.
One of the injured employees, Zhang Qing, told NPR that workers were not informed about a similar blast seven months earlier at a factory in Chengdu, China, which was tied to a buildup of aluminum dust.
Another worker hurt in the explosion, Liu Hengchao, said he watched as inspectors wearing white gloves checked for … Read more
High-resolution formats like Blu-ray, DVD-Audio, SACD, and LP are all capable of delivering superb sound quality, but having music in those formats doesn't automatically guarantee great sound. The recording itself would first have to sound great, or to put it another way, a great sounding MP3 would sound better than a heavily compressed and studio processed 192-kHz/24-bit Master Audio Blu-ray.
Worrying about what sounds better--FLAC, WAV, or AIFF files--is a total waste of time if you're listening to an Adele or Black Keys album: the music's processing levels are so extreme, there's nothing for … Read more
LAS VEGAS--If you've ever wanted to tell the Car Talk guys to shut it, now's your chance because a Sync AppLink-enabled version of the NPR app for Android and iPhone will give select Ford drivers voice control over their NPR programming.
By saying "Hourly News," users can call up a 4- to 5-minute audio stream of the latest news of the hour. After saying "Stations," the driver will be able to select a live stream of his or her favorite local NPR affiliate. Likewise, the "Programs" command allows for quick access to … Read more
LAS VEGAS--In a joint CES press conference today, Ford Motor and NPR announced that streaming news is coming "straight to the dashboard."
NPR's new app will work with Ford's in-car control system, Sync AppLink, even those without a touch-screen interface, and is intended to be less distracting to the driver as it's based on voice command. Users can set favorite stations and programs in the app to be browsed later using the car's steering wheel controls. Apps are available immediately in the Android Market and iTunes App Store.
NPR played up the ability to … Read more
The new NPR Tocky alarm clocks have me terribly torn.
On the one hand, Tockys have earned a place in the Annoying Gadgets Hall of Fame for jumping off nightstands and rolling around noisily till sleepers shut them up.
On the other, this special NPR version of the Tocky wakes you to the preloaded voices of two of my secret public radio crushes NPR hosts Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell. Arising every morning to the stars of the hilarious "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" might just make all that clock chasing worthwhile. Not all of us can be lucky enough to win Carl Kasell's voice on our home answering machine, now, can we? … Read more
For anyone who listens to public radio, there may be no greater annoyance than the semi-regular pledge drives that seem to go on for weeks and constantly interrupt your favorite programs.
Of course, these stations have little choice but to conduct the pledge drives, but if you've already given money, it can be doubly frustrating to continue to have to listen to the pleas. Well, if you're from the San Francisco area, local NPR affiliate KQED may have just the solution.
Starting today, anyone who ponies up a donation of $45 will be given access to a special online stream … Read more
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