The whole deal with podcasting is that it’s asynchronous, meaning that podcaster and listener don’t ever have to meet in real time. Apple computers, eternal creator of all that is new, hip, and cool, could be in the process of unleashing a new sort of podcast technology – the drive-time podcast. Long-time Windows magazine editor, Mike Elgan, writing (strangely) for Cult of Mac phrases the brilliance of Apple like this:
“As I’ve described many times before in this space, Apple’s core competency is finding common but horrible content consumption experiences and replacing them with awesome, Apple-designed experiences.”
Many would agree that the majority of car radio output qualifies as an exercise in horrible content consumption. Some of the prime offenders: terrible, locally commercial spots with amateur copy reading; unfunny people saying things they think are funny; lack of control over selection.
As we’ve said in the past, synchronous media like terrestrial radio and television are an anachronism whose expiration date is fast approaching. Commercial radio, in particular, has been begging for a mercy killing for decades now, and it seems that Apple has plans on the horizon to provide the bullet.
How is it going to work? Maybe like this. Elgan goes on to imagine a scenario where podcasts are integrated with new cars, perhaps accessed through Siri (a digital personal assistant built into iPad and iPhone that works off voice commands) controls in the steering wheel.
Eglan lays out his preferred approach:
“The home-run approach to all this is that you subscribe to your favorite podcasts, and new episodes download automatically from the cloud to your phone. When you’re in your car, you tell Siri: “Play my podcasts,” Siri will play them in reverse chronological order or in order of user rankings (depending on your preferences). During your daily commute, you’ll listen to “talk radio.” But instead of desperate groups of un-funny idiots trying to imitate Howard Stern or put-you-to-sleep NPR type shows, you’ll hear the podcasts you’ve selected from the thousands available.”
Sound good to you too? As far as our opinion goes, anything to save us from FM deejays.
The Speaking of Wealth Team
Flickr / James Mitchell