Getting Your News as MP3s? 67
GreenKiwi asks: "I've been really interested in finding a news source that has MP3s of their brodcasts. I have an iPod and download the news in text form most mornings to it so that I can find out what's going on. However, I would love to download (preferably automatically) news in the form of an MP3 that I could download to my iPod in the morning so that I could listen to the news on my way to work. The BBC has Real Audio output, but no MP3s that I can find. NPR has them for Real and WMP. I guess I could download and then convert the files. If that's possible. I'd love to hear whether anyone is doing this and how."
No Idea (Score:1, Insightful)
DIY :) (Score:4, Interesting)
You'll probably need to tweak the voice the TTS program produces to avoid involuntarily wetting yourself laughing when it makes hilarious speak-o's.
Also, you'll need to find a decent news site with few extraneous words and crap.
I agree with this post. (Score:1, Interesting)
Another benefit of this is that it can be modified with minimal effort to give you audio versions of not just any web site, but any plain text source, whether it be email, your grocery list, your "to do" list (so you can get in the right mindset before arriving at work), yesterday's server stats.
I first learnt of text-to-speech when my uncle lost his eyes in a fishing boat accident. He's a computer enthusiast, and I was soon impressed with his neat new software. Since then, I've noticed that many of the "accessibility" mechanisms put in place for the handicapped can be beneficial to normal people as well. I frequently browse the 'web with no images, and just use ALT tags (intended for the blind). Certain city intersections that "chirp" for blind people when the light is green allow me to cross the street while reading. Wheelchair ramps are easy on the knees, and handicapped parking spaces are usually open and very close to my destination. Text-to-speech may be your first step into a larger, more convenient world.
Re:I agree with this post. (Score:1)
Wadda cute lil troll... (Score:1)
I just have to believe you are kidding since the rest of your post made such sense.
Re:Wadda cute lil troll... (Score:1)
Re:I agree with this post. (Score:2)
This is true, but ramps and especially, curb cuts are often an annoyance and even dangerous to the blind. If you do not use a helper dog, and most blind people do not have one, your only recourse is the cane, and curb cuts are very difficult to detect. Chirping croswalks are fine, where they exist, but many intersections, even in fairly busy areas do not have signals.
Re:DIY :) (Score:2)
Re:DIY :) (Score:1)
Re:DIY :) (Score:1)
I've written up a little perl script which fetches a slashdot story and converts it into a SABLE document - XML specific to text-to-speech synthesis applications. I use Festival [ed.ac.uk] for speech synthesis - with a British accent, I can have my computer read slashdot to me in the morning...
The script basically converts slash's Light mode into something more conducive to tts purposes. It also has a substitution list to help the tts engine pronounce words correctly (how do you think the computer would pronounce CmdrTaco?) Other than that, I've been constantly amazed at how well the process works.
If anyone's interested in the script, feel free to email me.
-Karl
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bFM (Score:2, Informative)
Whoops - wrong link... (Score:2, Informative)
It's now at http://www.95bfm.co.bz [95bfm.co.nz].
Listening to tractors as mp3s probably isn't very enlightening!
Re:bFM (Score:2)
Americans would do well to listen to him as well. He gives a good take on what the rest of the world may think about George and co.
Mplayer! (Score:1)
Re:Mplayer! (Score:1)
textmode realplayer for unix (Score:2, Informative)
The Text-Mode RealMedia Player (TRPlayer) [linux-speakup.org] is a RealMedia player for Unix which has a command-line interface. It can play RealAudio, RealVideo, MP3, and all other media types supported by RealPlayer under Unix. TRPlayer was designed especially for blind Unix users, who don't yet have access to the graphical user interface. However, it is also useful to others; it is a good tool for background audio playback and for use on low-end hardware, such as Intel 486-based PC's.
Simply pipe this thru your favorite mp3/ogg encoder. You may need to use a cheap x86 Linux box, as OS X isn't supported by Real (yet).
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Re:textmode realplayer for unix (Score:1)
Re:OS X isn't supported by Real? (Score:1)
I simply looked at the requirements [real.com] page linked from Real's homepage [real.com]. Then I checked the link there to the older players, and only Mac OS 7.0/8.0 were available.
Hardly Elementary, my dear Watson.
As you probably guessed, I don't use RealOne or Mac OS X.
And, of course, real.com is a twisty maze leading, mostly, to the pay versions of their products/services.
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Has anyone come across a Tivo for radio ? (Score:1)
Anyone come across one ? or even cobbled together one ?
Re:Has anyone come across a Tivo for radio ? (Score:1)
Re:Has anyone come across a Tivo for radio ? (Score:1)
Their software works good; I've bought the TextAloud and it works well.
Re:Has anyone come across a Tivo for radio ? (Score:1)
If you're not, the old-fashioned method of hi-fi with self-timer and set to record on to a tape is surely as good as any? Failing that, there must be timer programs to control sound recording, and you could take the headphone output of any radio, plug it into your PC (laptop if it has to be portable), and leave the laptop switched on and the radio plugged into a timer switch... The possibilities are not quite endless, but many at least.
maybe (Score:1)
could apple include a radio?
Re:maybe not (Score:2)
hahahaha, NOT!
you must be thinking of some other company (like EVERY other company).
Try listening to your local radio station (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Try listening to your local radio station (Score:3, Interesting)
Streambox (Score:2)
Re:Streambox (Score:1)
Re:Streambox (Score:1)
old school: why waste memory? (Score:2, Insightful)
That is what Apple ought to add to the next redo of the iPod: a text to speech reader to read your ebooks or news or email for you. And just consider that instead of wasting 1 MB per minute of MP3 audio news reading, you could have less than 32k of plain text for 5 to 10 minutes of news reading. That would be a kicker.
I first did the Powerbook "read me my news" trick in January of 1999, when it was only a month old for me. I learned quickly to put all of the stories I wanted in either one big text file or in multiple cascaded text files so that I wouldn't have to use the touchpad. Just hitting the Apple-A to select all the text and Apple-H to have it "speak the selection".
Audible.com does this (Score:3, Informative)
Unfortunately, they don't support Linux (only Windows and Mac). Their files are not straight mp3's, they are something proprietary with copy protection.
Check it out, this may be what you are looking for!
Re:Audible.com does this (Score:1)
Re:Audible.com does this (Score:2)
I'm a little disappointed that Audible.com doesn't carry Morning Edition, only ATC. They are equally good programs at different times of the day.
The original asker should probably look at the New York Times Audio Digest which they promise to have available by 6:00 AM EST Monday-Friday. At $13/month or $70/year it is not a bad deal. Heck, for $15/month you can get one audiobook each month plus the NYT audio.
As a bonus, it is probably possible to write an AppleScript to download it to iTunes every day. Plus, if you are a Mac user, they have a special deal going on right now if you sign up for the $15/month service.
Re:Audible.com does this (Score:2)
I've got some shell script which handily and reliably spits out VBR-encoded MP3 episodes of whatever NPR time slots I elect to record.
The hardest part was setting up the parameters for LAME to both not sound horrible, consume up little space, and take advantage of the fact that FM radio is already mid-side stereo encoded.
It was free, too. Though it did take a $20 sound card and an old Kenwood tuner to make it work, the expense of hardware is quickly overshadowed by the lack of a monthly bill and the ability to archive things easily and automatically.
I have -years- of Car Talk on CD-R, for instance.
How far back does audible.com's archive go?
audible.com (Score:1)
Low-tech (Score:1, Troll)
People used to do this all the time back in the days before streaming audio. It's called "hooking a tape recorder up to a timer".
Granted, these things called "tapes" can't go in your iPod, but they are compatible with those three "portable tape players" sitting in your desk drawer, and they also play on that thing called a "tape deck" that you normally stick the iPod's car adapter into.
I do something like this (Score:3, Informative)
Here is an example crontab entry:
0 18 * * 1-5 FILENAME=foo-`date +\%Y\%m\%d`_1 ; cd
Yes, that's a bit of a convoluted command line, but it does the job. I'm sure there's a better way of doing it, but the above has worked for me for quite a while. All you'd have to do is download it to your iPod.
Also, a lot of radio stations and programs have pre-determined times when they cut to commercials. If you're adventurous, you could have those automatically cut out. I've looked into doing it, but never got around to it.
Command line overload. (Score:2)
TextAloud MP3 by Nextup.com (Score:1)
I bought this program to convert books to mp3 for my exams. It's Windows based only at this point. It does a fine job.
Just start it up and copy the text you want to mp3 and it grabs it.
The best part-- is they have a program that does News from websites, just like you want it. I haven't tried that one though. I just wanted to listen to those boring manuals and exam crams instead of falling asleep reading them.
There is also Groups Aloud (for a News reader!!) and Stocks Aloud if you are still gambling in that arena. :-)
For real to mp3 (Score:2, Informative)
Here's a good source for MP3 news and such... (Score:1)
Air Force Radio News (Score:2, Informative)
updated five days a week.
Perhaps not the general news that submitter is looking for, but it is news in mp3. I would certainly prefer Ogg Vorbis though.
WAMU.ORG... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:WAMU.ORG... (Score:1)
But that is a stream only, not a downloadable file like he was looking for. (yes I know there are ways to capture streams, but I think he is looking for something easier.)
Audible.com Subscriptions (Score:1)
kcrw.org (Score:3, Informative)
Unfortunately, they don't archive these shows so you'd have to use something appropriate to save the stream.
A further consideration is the timezone. If you're on the west coast you might be better off ripping an east coast stream overnight, that way your entire morning news program is ready to upload by 6 am, some scheduled recordings could grab the hourly news bites to keep you on top of late breaking events.
Preview is my friend (Score:2)
Thats KCRW [kcrw.org]....
Amateur radio news is available (Score:1)
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/ [arrl.org]
http://www.tapr.org/newsline/ [tapr.org]
I've had better luck . . . (Score:2, Funny)
streamripper + kuow.org = mp3 news goodness (Score:1)
Storing streaming audio as mp3 (Score:2, Interesting)
Free Speech Radio News (Score:1)
DemocracyNow.org - mp3 broadcast (Score:2)
audible.com (Score:2)
I'm a customer, not an employee.
Windows only though.