We’re a little early for Cool Tool Friday, but I think this is a cool enough project that I’m bending the rules a bit. Mike Chambers and I just finished putting together and launching an application we’re calling Take-Away which not only lets you read MXNA aggregated news as notes on your iPod, but also lets you listen to it, as well. The application checks over 300 Macromedia-related weblogs for new posts every hour, and regenerates the appropriate MP3s and note files. If you drive to work, listen to Macromedia news on your stereo. If you ride a bus or a train, read the news. If you work from home, play with it just for fun. And if you don’t have an iPod, this is as good a reason as any to go get one!
See the Take-Away page for more information, and let me know if you have any suggestions for future versions.
Comments
Very interesting concept. Now all you need to do is convince Apple to make the iPOD a wireless device that can pickup the news without having to be plugged into a computer. Not having to connect to a computer and drag and drop the articles into a playlist would make this the “killer app”. As is, it’s a neat trick, but the hardware keeps it from going all the way.
if you have a connected PPC:http://www.ericd.net/new_css/mxna_mp3s.htmlWith wireless firewire coming, and probably some kind of wifi for an iPod someday, you take what you can get. I think this service is pretty nice. I think the audio aspect of it alone opens up a lot of possibilities.
Hey Christian – great work on the take-away stuff! Very cool! I really like it. Gives me some new ideas for text to speech stuff and flash. Take care! -Rob
Wow, new macrostation
Mike and Christian, really love the idea. The first one i downloaded had my name first which was well odd to hear. Would be nice if you could change the pitch, or the speed it got read back?? just a thought.Keep up the good work