[LINK] Google Labs: Listen

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

>> Until book publishers learn the DRM lessons the Music industry has
>> learnt things will be difficult.
>
> And there lies the real issue. Not that the music industry has worked  
> it out yet. iT


It might well be that no matter what formats e-book readers eventually
standardize around they may never be more than a 'peripheral' consumer
device?

By that i mean reading might become a 'loosing entertainment art'. For
example, i think MP3 playing will probably always be more popular with
upcoming generations. That is, audio (and video) entertainment, rather
than reading. With so much to read, methinks Gen Y/Z is turning off it.

Instead, new ideas, such as, for example: http://listen.googlelabs.com

Google Labs: August 20, 2009. Google Listen. "An Android app providing a
personalized audio news-magazine loaded with fresh & interesting content
whenever it is turned on."

"Search & Listen. Listen from Google Labs brings podcasts and web audio
to your Android-powered device. It lets you search, subscribe, download
and stream. By subscribing to programs & search terms, it will create a
personalized audio-magazine loaded with fresh shows and news stories
whenever you listen."

and, at: http://groups.google.com/group/listen-discuss

"Welcome to the discussion group for Listen from Google Labs for Android
powered phones such as the G1 & myTouch 3G from T-Mobile. Listen quickly
finds podcasts and web audio relevant to your searches, and then, allows
you to listen to them, whether you stream them over-the-air or download
them for later. 

Here are a few of the things you can do with Listen from Google Labs:

* Find and listen to audio on an emerging news story.
* Subscribe to your favorite programs or search terms.
* Share something you hear with a friend.
* Keep a couple of hours of fresh audio for your daily commutes.

Please remember that Listen is part of Google Labs, a playground where 
our more adventurous users can play around with prototypes of some of our 
wild and crazy ideas. You should wear safety goggles and use this group 
to share, discuss and offer feedback directly to the engineers who 
developed this experiment."

--

Cheers,
Stephen